] 


I 


^.\ 


MALI    BOWKn    RESPECTFULLY   TO    HIM. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL 


BY 


FRANK  R.  STOCKTON 


NEW  EDITION. 


NEW  YORK: 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS, 
1916 


Copyright  1875 

BY 

SCRIBNER.  ARMSTRONG  &  Ca 
Copyright  1903 

BY 

MARIAN  E.  STOCKTON 


Cyi^^' 


PREFACE. 


It  is  not  generally  considered  proper  to  tell  tales  out  of  school,  but 
I  shall  venture  it  in  this  book.  And  if  any  of  the  Arabs,  or  tigers,  or 
Cabordmen,  that  I  tell  tales  about,  do  not  like  it,  they  can  come  to  me 
and  find  as  much  fault  as  they  please.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  what 
they  have  to  say. 

But  I  shall  not  tell  all  the  tales  myself.  The  lady  who  in  "  Round- 
about Rambles,"  took  you  to  Pompeii  and  many  strange  and  interest- 
ing places,  will  tell  you  some  of  these  stories. 


CONTENTS 


Colonel  Myles'  Adventures  in  Africa  and  Indla I 

A  Sugar  Camp 31 

Silver  Plating 34 

Very  Ancient  Animals o 37 

Iturim  and  His  Fortunes 42 

Large  Houses  for  Small  Tenants 54 

The  Wonderful  Adventures  of  Gutefundus 61 

Some  Big  Guns 7° 

Tom  Reynolds  and   Moriyama 74 

Luminous  Insects g^ 

Owls  On  a  Frolic , 96 

Common  and  Uncommon  Sponges » 98 

Maghar's  Leap loi 

The  Sea  Cow 120 

Two  Extremes 123 

A  Snow  Storm  in  the  Tropics 130 

How  Three  Men  Went  to  the  Moon 140 

Tartar  Horses  and  Horsemen 153 

Two  Happy  Men 156 

The  Wonderful  Ash  Tree 162 

Work  and  Water '74 

iii 


iv  CONTENTS. 


The  Land  of  the  White  Elephant 178 

Curiosities  of  Vegetable  Life 183 

Bron  and  Kruge 203 

The  Mirage 222 

Coral 225 

The  Great  Eastern 232 

Kangaroos 238 

The  Story  of  Polargno 241 

Turtles  and  Their  Eggs 265 

A  Few  Volcanoes 269 

The  Absent-Minded  Botanist 273 

Something  True  About  the  Moon 282 

A  Voyage  to  the  Lower  Amazon 287 

The  Bedoxhn  Arabs 298 

Fool-hardy  Carl  Hofer  and  the  Water  Lady 302 

Water  AND  Milk  from   Plants 311 

The  Jolly  Cabordmen 317 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES  IN  AFRICA 
AND   INDIA. 

He  had  shot  many  a  buffalo.  Indeed  he  sometimes  thought  that 
he  had  shot  too  many,  for  out  on  our  Western  prairies  it  was  often 
impossible  for  him  to  use  the  meat,  or  even  to  take  the  skins  of  the 
animals  that  fell  before  his  generally  unerring  rifle.  And  the  Colonel 
was  very  much  opposed  to  the  useless  slaughter  of  wild  animals.  If 
the  buffaloes  did  any  harm  while  alive  or  could  be  put  to  any  use  when 
dead  it  was  all  very  well  to  shoot  them.     Otherwise,  not. 

And  yet,  whenever  Colonel  Myles  saw  a  buffalo  he  could  not  help 
shooting  at  it,  if  he  happened  to  have  his  gun  with  him. 

So  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  go  abroad  and  hunt  animals 
that  ought  to  be  killed. 

Now  you  understand  how  the  Colonel  happened  to  go  to  Africa. 

His  sporting  experiences  did  not  commence  as  soon  as  he  set  foot 


TJL'ES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


on  "  Afric's  burning  shores,"  and  indeed  it  was  several  months  before 
he  could  make  all  the  arrangements  for  a  trip  through  those  portions 
of  the  country  where  wild  and  savage  beasts,  worthy  the  bullets  of 
such  a  hunter,  were  to  be  found. 

Some  parts  of  his  journey  were  very  pleasant,  even  when  he  saw  no 
game,  because  of  the  novel  modes  of  traveling. 

For  instance  he  was  carried  many  miles  in  a  sort  of  portable  lounge 
which  was  borne  on  the  heads  of  four  negroes.  The  Colonel  lay  at 
ease  on  this  elevated  conveyance,  which  had  a  little  fence  on  each  side 
to  keep  him  from  rolling  off,  and  hoops  so  arranged  that  when  it  rained 
or  the  sun  shone  too  brightly,  a  canopy  might  be  thrown  over  him 
without  interfering  with  his  comfort. 

Here  he  could  lie  and  read  or  smoke  while  his  swift- footed  bearers 
carried  him  along  at  a  rate  which  would  have  obliged  a  horse  to  hurry 
himself  considerably  in  order  to  keep  up  with  them. 

Another  time,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  negro  soldiers,  and  pre- 
ceded by  a  set  of  fantastic  savages  who  danced  before  him  with  horns 
on  their  heads  and  shields  and  spears  in  their  hands,  he  rode  for  many 
miles  upon  a  well  trained  native  bull. 

This  steed  was  not  very  fast,  but  he  had  great  endurance  and  trav- 
eled very  easily  and  pleasantly,  without  seeming  to  mind  in  the  least 
the  black  fellows  who  leaped  and  shouted  in  front  of  him  in  a  way  that 
would  have  frightened  the  soberest  old  horse  that  ever  hauled  a  sand 
cart. 

Perhaps  the  bull  knew  that  these  men  were  merely  trying  to  impress 
upon  the  mind  of  the  Colonel  that  they  were  wonderfully  brave,  and 
that  with  their  spears  and  their  yells  they  could  scare  away  any  en- 
emy that  might  be  encountered,  while  in  fact  a  white  man  with  a  cou- 
ple of  pistols  could  have  frightened  them  out  of  their  wits  in  about 
half  a  minute. 

But  whether  the  bull  knew  this  or  not,  he  paid  no  attention  to  the 


TALES  OUT  OT  SCHOOL, 


r" 


lifffifni' 


iiililiiiilliiillliita 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


dancing  braves,  and  carried  the  Colonel  faithfully  for  many  a  long 

mile. 

But  Colonel  Myles  did  not  always  travel  on  bulls  or  in  hammocks. 
After  a  time  he  found  an  admirable  horse,  on  which  he  rode  on  many 
a  hunting  expedition. 

Amone  the  first  laree  animals  he  hunted — he  did  not  count  deer 
and  such  small  game — were  rhinoceroses,  of  which  there  were  a  great 
many  in  that  part  of  the  country. 

One  of  his  first  hunts  of  the  kind  began  in  rather  a  curious  manner. 

He  had  heard  that  there  were  rhinoceroses  to  be  found  in  a  certain 
hilly  part  of  the  country,  and,  accompanied  by  two  negroes,  he  started 
on  his  horse  quite  early  in  the  morning. 

Reaching  some  very  rough  ground,  he  thought  it  better  to  climb 
over  the  rocks  on  foot,  so  he  tied  his  horse  to  the  branch  of  a  tree  and 
set  off  with  his  companions  to  reconnoitre.  They  walked  up  and  down 
through  the  bushes,  and  over  gullies,  searching  for  the  big  animals 
they  were  after,  but  not  a  horn  of  one  of  them  could  they  see. 

At  last,  returning  somewhat  discouraged,  they  reached  the  top  of 
a  litde  hill,  and  there  their  eyes  were  greeted  with  an  unexpected 
sight. 

They  saw  a  rhinoceros,  a  big  fellow  too,  but  he  was  not  hunted, — 
he  was  hunting! 

And  what  was  especially  startling  was  that  he  was  hunting  the 
Colonel's  horse  ! 

The  great  beast  had  caught  sight  of  the  horse,  tied  to  the  tree,  and 
was  charging  down  upon  him  at  full  speed. 

When  they  arrived  on  the  scene,  the  rhinoceros  was  quite  near  the 
horse,  who  was  rearing  and  pitching  with  terror,  and  pulling  furiously 
at  his  bridle.  The  rhinoceros  had  his  head  down  and  his  long  sharp 
horn  seemed  to  be  almost  under  the  poor  horse. 

Another  second  and  the  horse  would  certainly  perish. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


But  in  that  second  the  Colonel's  rifle  was  at  his  shoulder  and  a 
sharp  shot  rang  out  in  the  air. 

The  ball  struck  the  great  beast  just  behind  his  shoulder.  It  did  not 
kill  him,  but  it  stopped  his  onward  course.  He  turned  toward  the 
hill,  and  at  that  moment  the  horse  tore  himself  loose  and  galloped 
away. 

The  rhinoceros  now  advanced  towards  the  three  men.  But  he 
found  them  very  different  kind  of  game  from  a  poor  horse  tied  to  a 
tree. 

Again  the  Colonel's  rifle  rang  out  and  Mr.  Thick-hide  rolled  over 
dead. 

This  was  the  first  rhinoceros  Colonel  Myles  had  ever  shot,  and  he 
was  proud  of  his  achievement,  as  well  he  might  be,  for  it  is  not  an 
easy  thing  to  kill  a  rhinoceros. 

If  you  do  not  hit  him  in  exactly  the  right  place  you  might  as  well 
fire  at  a  brick  wall. 

But  Colonel  Myles  was  a  capital  shot,  although  he  had  never  had 
such  difficult  creatures  to  shoot  as  this  great  animal  which  now  lay  at 
his  feet.  Perhaps  his  alligator  hunts  in  Florida  had  taught  him  how  to 
aim  at  iron-clad  game,  but  there  is  a  difference  between  shooting  alli- 
gators and  rhinoceroses.  If  you  miss  the  alligator  there  is  generally 
an  end  of  the  matter,  for  he  will  plunge  into  the  water  as  soon  as  he 
can,  and  disappear.  But  if  you  miss  the  rhinoceros  he  will  plunge 
after  you,  and  if  you  cannot  disappear  very  rapidly  there  may  be  an 
end  of  the  matter,  but  in  the  wrong  way. 

The  horse  did  not  run  very  far,  and  one  of  the  swift-footed  negroes 
soon  caught  him. 

This  was  not  the  only  occasion  when  a  rhinoceros  proved  a  very 
dangerous  animal  to  hunt.  One  day  the  Colonel  was  out  with  a  large 
party.  One  man  besides  himself  was  mounted  on  a  horse,  and  there 
were  half-a-dozen  negroes  on  foot,  well  armed  with  guns. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


For  some  time  they  scoured  the  country  without  finding  any  signs 
of  a  rhinoceros,  but  at  last  the  tracks  of  one  were  discovered,  and  he 
was  followed  up  to  his  retreat. 

When  Colonel  Myles  first  caught  sight  of  him  he  was  standing 
quietly  under  a  tree.  Our  hunter  took  a  good  aim  at  him  and  fired, 
but  just  as  he  fired,  his  horse,  apparently  bitten  by  a  fly,  gave  a  start, 
and  the  ball  struck  the  rhinoceros  on  one  of  his  heavy  flaps  of  skin, 
with  just  enough  effect  to  make  him  turn  around  to  see  who  was  there. 

Then  the  Colonel  fired  again — he  had  a  double-barreled  rifle — and 
this  time  the  ball  struck  the  rhinoceros  fair  on  the  nose,  and  it  made 
him  mad.  Without  stopping  to  consider  the  matter,  he  turned 
squarely  round  and  charged  down  straight  upon  the  hunters. 

The  Colonel  had  no  time  to  reload  his  gun,  so  he  put  spurs  to  his 
horse  and  dashed  away  as  fast  as  he  could  go. 

The  other  man  on  horseback  did  not  wait  for  the  savage  beast  to 
come  after  him  but  galloped  off  in  another  direction.  As  to  the 
negroes,  they  seemed  to  forget  that  they  had  guns,  or  else  they 
thought  that  if  the  Colonel  could  not  hit  the  beast  In  the  right  spot 
there  was  no  use  in  their  trying  to  do  it.  At  any  rate  they  took  to 
their  heels.  As  the  rhinoceros  dashed  on,  he  ran  right  over  one 
negro,  knocking  him  heels  over  head,  and  he  came  after  the  Colonel 
and  his  horse  at  a  rate  that  gave  good  reason  to  expect  that  in  a 
minute  or  two  he  would  get  his  horn  under  the  horse  and  toss  him 
over. 

But  the  horse  was  a  good  one  and  he  kept  ahead  of  the  beast 
until  his  rider  loaded  again.  Then  the  Colonel  turned  and  as  he  was 
so  near  the  rhinoceros  he  put  a  ball  into  him  that  rolled  him  over  dead. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  dangerous  hunting  expeditions  in  which 
Colonel  Myles  ever  engaged.  Had  his  horse  been  a  poor  one,  or 
had  he  stumbled,  there  would  have  been  no  more  hunts  in  Africa  — 
or  anywhere  else — for  our  hero. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


He  soon  had  another  rhinoceros  hunt,  which  was  not  dangerous, 
but  very  pecuHar. 

He  started  out  with  four  negroes  on  horseback,  and  none  of  them 
were  armed  with  anything  but  the  swords  of  the  country,  which  are  not 
exactly  the  things  with  which  to  cut  sheet-iron,  or  rhinoceros  hides 

The  Colonel  was  well  mounted,  and  of  course  had  his  rifle.  Before 
long  two  rhinoceroses  were  started  up  together,  and  they  rushed 
out  of  the  bushes  so  suddenly  and  dashed  away  in  such  a  frightened 
way  that  the  Colonel  could  not  get  a  shot  at  them.  Whichever  way 
they  ran  there  was  always  a  negro  between  his  gun  and  the  flying  beast. 

Perceiving  that  the  rhinoceroses  were  trying  their  best  to  get  away, 
the  negroes  became  very  brave,  and  rode  after  them  as  if  they  in- 
tended to  chop  them  up  into  little  pieces,  if  they  could  only  get  some 
fair  cracks  at  them. 

In  fact  they  were  so  enthusiastic,  and  kept  so  close  to  the  rhino- 
ceroses that  it  was  impossible  for  the  Colonel  to  fire  at  the  animals 
without  running  the  risk  of  killing  a  black  man,  and  so  on  they  went 
as  hard  as  they  all  could  gallop.  The  rhinoceroses  seemed  like  a 
couple  of  great  fat  hogs,  but  they  could  run  famously,  and  it  was  as 
much  as  the  hunters  could  do  to  keep  up  with  them. 

One  darkey  kept  ahead  of  the  rest,  and  quite  close  to  the  flying 
beasts,  and  he  whacked  away  at  their  thick  hides,  with  no  other  effect 
than  to  make  them  run  faster. 

The  other  negroes  shouted  and  yelled  as  if  they  were  trying  to 
frighten  the  rhinoceroses  ;  and,  at  any  rate,  to  make  them  run  as  fast 
as  they  could. 

The  Colonel  held  his  gun  ready  to  fire  if  he  could  get  around  where 
he  could  have  a  fair  shot,  but  his  shouts  to  the  negroes  to  fall  back 
and  leave  the  beasts  to  him  were  totally  disregarded.  They  had  found 
some  game  that  was  afraid  of  them,  and  they  were  going  to  chase  it,  as 
long  as  it  would  run  away. 


COLONEL  MYLES  ADVENTURED, 


\\ 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


The  result  of  it  all  was  that  the  rhinoceroses  ran  into  some  heavy 
brushwood  where  the  Colonel's  horse  could  not  follow  them,  and  he 
did  not  get  even  one  shot  at  them. 

It  was  very  disappointing  to  him,  after  having  been  so  close  to  the 
game.  But  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  never  again  go  hunt 
ing  when  there  were  mounted  negroes  in  the  party.  They  put  them- 
selves forward  entirely  too  prominently. 

These  negroes  were  excellent  fellows  to  run  after  any  thing  which 
was  not  apt  to  run  after  them. 

The  Colonel  once  saw  a  very  funny  incident  which  exhibited  this 
quality  in  the  natives  in  a  very  striking  manner. 

In  a  village  where  Colonel  Myles  was  staying,  making  arrange- 
ments for  a  hunt,  there  was  a  large  elephant,  which  belonged  to  an- 
other village  some  forty  miles  away. 

This  elephant  was  rather  an  unruly  beast,  and  did  not  at  all  like  his 
new  quarters,  or  the  new  driver  who  had  charge  of  him. 

He  seemed  to  be  home-sick,  and  he  gave  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
by  his  uneasy  disposition.  One  day  he  broke  loose,  and  no  sooner 
did  he  find  himself  at  liberty  than  he  determined  to  go  home. 

So  off  he  started  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  but  he  had  not  gone  far 
before  his  flight  was  discovered,  and  six  or  eight  negroes,  snatching 
up  their  swords,  immediately  gave  chase. 

They  were  all  on  foot,  but  they  could  run  so  fast  that  they  soon 
caught  up  with  the  elephant. 

But  then  all  their  trouble  commenced.     He  wouldn't  stop ! 

They  shouted,  they  yelled,  they  brandished  their  swords,  and 
running  before  the  great  beast,  they  tried  their  best  to  make  him 
stop. 

But  the  elephant,  with  his  trunk  and  his  tail  in  the  air,  strode  along 
at  a  tremendous  pace.  He  did  not  seem  to  like  his  company,  for  he 
bellowed  loudly  as  he  ran,  but  they  could  no  more  stop  him  than  a  lot 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


13 


of  spring  chickens  could  stop  you  if  you  took  it  in  your  head  to  run 
home  some  day  in  recess-time. 

The  negroes  sprang  in  front  of  the  elephant,  until  it  seemed  as  if 
he  certainly  would  run  over  them,  and  they  dashed  at  him  from  all 
sides,  waving  their  swords  in  his  face  as  they  shouted  to  him  to  halt, 
but  he  kept  bravely  on  until  the  Colonel  lost  sight  of  the  party. 

Together,  they  ran  four  or  five  miles,  and  then  the  negroes  thought 
they  might  as  well  give  up  that  chase  as  a  bad  job,  and  the  elephant 
went  on  to  his  home  unmolested. 


THE   ELEPHANT   WANTS   TO   GO    HOME. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


If  he  had  known  what  he  ought  to  do,  he  would  have  turned  on 
those  darkies  and  chased  them  about  half  a  mile.  In  that  way  he 
would  have  managed  very  soon  to  relieve  himself  of  his  troublesome 
pursuers.  They  would  have  gone  home  quite  as  rapidly  as  he  wanted 
to  go  to  his  home. 

Colonel  Myles  staid  in  Africa  nearly  a  year  and  sometimes  had  a 
good  deal  of  exciting  hunting,  and  at  other  times  weeks  would  pass 
when  he  was  obliged  to  stay  in  some  native  village  for  want  of  trans- 
portation and  guides. 

Sometimes  too,  he  found  himself  in  a  part  of  the  country  where 
there  was  no  large  game  worth  mentioning. 

He  tried  hard  to  find  a  gorilla,  but  never  succeeded.  He  often 
heard  lions  in  the  night,  and  once  came  upon  a  big  fellow  who  was 
lying  down  by  the  side  of  a  fallen  tree  in  the  very  road  over  which  he 
and  his  followers  were  traveling.  The  tree  was  of  a  yellowish  brown 
color  and  the  lion  was  of  very  much  the  same  color,  so  the  Colonel 
did  not  see  him  until  he  came  quite  near  to  him. 

As  quickly  as  possible  he  jerked  his  rifle  from  his  shoulder,  but  his 
horse  started  and  reared,  and  the  lion  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  giving 
one  hasty  look  at  the  advancing  party,  disappeared  in  the  bushes. 

The  Colonel  was  very  much  disappointed  at  this  mishap,  and  it  was 
shordy  after  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  never  would  get  a  good 
shot  at  a  lion,  that  he  concluded  to  go  to  India. 

A  party  of  traders  were  on  their  way  to  the  coast,  and  the  Colonel 
joined  them. 

Reaching  the  coast  he  found  a  vessel  nearly  ready  to  sail,  and  in  it 
he  took  passage  to  Bombay. 

He  was  in  India  nearly  two  months  before  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
try  his  favorite  rifle  on  any  large  game. 

He  preferred  to  hunt  tigers,  for  dgers  are  such  scourges  to  the  lo- 
calities in  which  they  are  found  that  he  felt  jusdfied  in  killing  as  many 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


15 


ot"  them  as  he  could.  But  it  turned  out  that  his  first  hunt  was  a  buf- 
falo hunt — and  not  only  his  first  but  his  second  and  third,  and  a  good 
many  after  that. 

He  got  in  a  part  of  the  country  in  which  there  were  a  good  many 
buffaloes,  and  as  they  were  needed  as  food  it  paid  very  well  to  hunt 
them,  and  there  were  always  natives  enough  who  were  willing  to 
help  if  they  might  have  a  large  share  of  the  meat. 

One  day  one  of  these  natives  had  a  little  more  buffalo  hunting  than 
he  wanted.  The  colonel  perceived  a  very  large  fine  bull  buffalo  stand- 
ing in  an  open  space  and  was  just  about  to  take  a  good  aim  at  him 
when  the  animal  began  to  trot  off  towards  a  dense  thicket.  The  col- 
onel was  afraid  of  losing  him  and  so  he  fired  too  quickly.  If  he  hit 
the  buffalo  at  all  he  merely  wounded  him  very  slightly,  for  he  dashed 
off  into  the  thicket. 

The  native  attendant,  however,  was  quite  sure  that  the  buffalo  had 
been  fairly  hit  and  would  soon  drop,  so  off  he  rushed  to  find  him. 

While  he  was  pushing  his  way  through  the  thicket  he  heard  a  crash- 
ing noise,  and  looking  around  saw  the  savage  bull  charging  down 
upon  him  from  a  little  eminence  where  there  was  a  comparatively 
open  space. 

The  man  had  a  gun,  but  it  was  not  loaded.  There  was  no  chance 
of  his  running  away,  for  the  bushes  and  reeds  were  too  close  and 
strong  to  allow  of  that.  There  was  no  tree  near  but  one  very  thick 
one,  up  which  he  had  no  time  to  climb. 

The  bull  stopped  for  an  instant,  and  then  put  down  his  head  for  an- 
other charge. 

The  man  had  no  time  to  do  much  thinking.  Whatever  he  did  in 
self-defence  must  be  done  quickly,  that  he  knew  well.  So  he  darted 
behind  the  tree,  and  jerking  his  blanket  from  his  back  he  put  it  on  his 
gun-barrel  and  waved  it  about. 

The  buffalo  immediately  accepted  the  challenge,  and  came  at  him 


1 6  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

full  tear.  He  rushed  at  the  cloth,  and  as  he  passed  he  took  it  away 
on  his  horns.  Then  the  native  hurried  off  as  fast  as  he  could  go 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

The  colonel,  who  had  loaded  up  and  was  waiting  for  his  attendant 
to  return,  was  very  much  astonished  to  see  a  buffalo  rush  out  of  the 
thicket  with  a  blanket  twisted  about  his  horns. 

The  animal  evidently  did  not  notice  him,  and  so  he  raised  his  rifle 
and  shot  him  dead  without  the  slightest  trouble. 


THE   NATIVE  S   TRICK. 


As  soon  as  the  buffalo  was  quite  dead,  the  native  appeared  from 
the  thicket  and  immediately  began  to  boast  of  the  share  he  had  had  in 
killing  the  animal. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  had  he  not  succeeded  in  his  very  clever  trick 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


the  buffalo  would  either    have  killed  him   or  would  have  got  away 
safely. 

A  week  or  two  after  this  the  Colonel  was  invited  by  an  officer  in 
the  English  army,  named  Major  Alden,  to  go  wild  boar-hunting  with 
him. 

The  Colonel  was  quite  willing,  and  so  they  set  out  together  for  the 
river,  some  three  miles  away,  where  they  expected  to  find  a  wild  boar 
or  two.  A  crowd  of  natives  preceded  them,  beating  up  the  bushes 
to  drive  out  the  boars. 

Our  hunters  were  both  well  mounted  and  armed  with  long  spears 
instead  of  guns.  The  Major,  who  wore  an  undress  uniform,  carried 
also  a  short  sword. 

They  had  scarcely  reached  the  river-bank  when  they  saw  a  boar 
rush  out  of  some  underbrush  and  make  rapidly  for  the  river. 

Both  horsemen  dashed  off  in  pursuit,  Major  Alden  in  advance. 
Just  as  he  reached  the  edge  of  the  high  bank  the  Major  thought  that 
he  had  better  rein  up,  but  he  did  not  think  soon  enough.  He  stopped 
quite  near  the  brink  of  the  bank,  and  was  on  the  point  of  turning 
back,  when  the  earth  caved  in  beneath  his  horse,  and  down  into  the 
water  and  mud,  some  ten  feet  below,  went  horse  and  rider ! 

Fortunately  the  river  was  not  very  deep  at  that  place,  but  it  was 
deep  enough.  The  Major  went  head  foremost  over  his  horse's  neck 
into  the  water,  and  the  horse  with  a  tremendous  splash,  went  into  the 
mud  as  far  as  his  legs  would  let  him  go. 

Just  in  time,  our  Colonel  reined  up,  and  below  him  he  beheld  a 
doleful  sight. 

The  Major  had  risen  to  his  feet  but  was  dripping  with  mud  and 
water  that  fell  in  little  cascades  from  his  face,  head,  and  hands  and 
every  part  of  his  body. 

The  horse  was  plunging  wildly  in  the  river  and  the  poor  Major  did 
not  seem  to  be  able  to  see  how  to  find  his  way  to  dry  land. 

2 


<8 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE   major's   tumble. 

II  the  Colonel  had  been  a  boy  he  would  have  had  a  good  laugh  at 
this  mishap  of  his  companion,  but  as  he  was  a  man  he  tried  not  to  add 
to  the  discomfiture  of  the  Major  by  making  fun  of  him.  But  when 
the  native  beaters  came  up  they  set  up  a  shout  of  laughter,  and  that 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


made  the  Major  angry  enough,  and  as  he  wobbled  slowly  to  shore  he 
growled  out  to  the  "black  rascals"  a  command  to  stop  their  noise, 
and  get  his  horse  out. 

The  black  rascals,  although  they  did  see  a  good  deal  of  fun  in  this 
unfortunate  tumble,  proved  themselves  very  useful,  for  they  cleaned 
the  horse  and  saddle,  and  while  the  Major  took  a  bath  in  the  river,  (at 
a  place  where  it  was  deeper  and  with  a  better  bottom)  they  dried 
his  clothes  and  brushed  them  with  bunches  of  twigs  until  they  looked 
quite  presentable,  and  in  the  afternoon  they  all  set  out  again  on  their 
hunt. 

But  the  Major  seemed  doomed  to  misfortune  that  day.  He  had  no 
spear,  for  his  weapon  had  been  broken  in  the  fall  of  the  morning,  and 
he  had  sent  one  of  the  men  back  to  the  village  to  get  him  another. 

But  before  the  man  returned  a  boar  was  started  up  and  Colonel 
Myles  started  off  in  pursuit.  The  boar  dashed  into  the  underbrush, 
the  Colonel  and  a  dozen  natives  after  him  full  tilt,  and  the  farther  that 
boar  ran  the  madder  he  got. 

He  didn't  like  being  chased,  and  I  suppose  no  sensible  boar  would 
like  it. 

Directly  he  made  a  sharp  turn  and  rushed  out  of  the  bushes  to  the 
river  bank  where  the  Major  was  sitting  on  his  horse  waiting  for  his 
spear. 

Seeing  a  man  on  a  horse  the  boar  very  naturally  thought  that 
he  must  be  the  person  who  had  been  after  him,  and  so,  full  of  ven- 
geance, he  dashed  at  him  at  full  speed,  his  horrid  tusks  glistening  in 
the  sunlight. 

Instantly  the  Major  pulled  his  feet  out  of  the  stirrups  and  drew  his 
sword.     There  was  no  time  to  ride  away. 

But  the  sword  was  short,  and  the  boar  was  very  close  to  the  horse, 
who  snorted  and  plunged  so  that  the  Major  could  scarcely  keep  his 
seat,  much  less  get  a  fair  crack  at  the  boar. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  MAJOR  AND  THE  BOAR. 

If  the  savage  beast  had  succeeded  in  getting  under  the  horse  he 
would  have  wounded  him  desperately. 

But  Major  Alden  was  a  cool  and  a  brave  man.  He  kept  the  horse 
away  from  the  boar  as  well  as  he  could,  and  at  last  he  got  a  good 
chance,  and  down  came  his  sword  on  the  boar's  neck. 

But  this  cut  did  not  seem  to  cool  the  boar's  courage  very  much. 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


The  savage  animal  still  charged,  the  horse  plunged  and  the  Major 
slashed,  and  so  the  fight  went  on — charge,  plunge,  slash,  until  the 
Colonel  came  riding  up  with  his  spear,  and  soon  put  an  end  to  the 
career  of  the  ferocious  boar. 

The  next  time  the  Major  and  Colonel  Myles  went  out  to  hunt  they 
went  after  tigers. 

Tiger  hunting  is  very  popular  among  the  white  residents  of  India, 
and  it  is  well  that  it  is,  for  the  natives  do  not  often  succeed  so  well  in 
their  hunts  after  tigers,  as  the  tigers  succeed  in  their  hunts  after  the 
natives. 

It  is  astonishing  to  read,  in  the  government  reports,  how  many 
people  are  annually  killed  by  tigers  in  some  parts  of  India. 

The  Colonel's  first  tiger  hunt  was  not  a  very  ambitious  one.  He 
did  not  go  out  into  the  jungle  on  an  elephant  in  company  with  forty 
or  fifty  natives,  but  he  and  the  Major,  with  two  or  three  followers, 
started  off  on  foot.  They  walked  a  long  distance  without  seeing  a 
sign  of  tigers,  although  they  were  in  a  place  where  two  bullocks  had 
been  killed  by  these  animals  the  previous  night. 

Towards  noon,  however,  one  of  the  natives  discovered  the  plain 
tracks  of  a  tiger,  and  the  party  followed  the  trail  until  they  lost  it  in  a 
mass  of  rocks.  In  these  rocks,  however,  was  a  large  cave,  and  the 
natives  assured  them  that  they  would  find  the  animal  in  this  cave„ 

No  one  was  particularly  anxious  to  go  into  it  to  see  if  the  tiger  was 
there,  but,  peering  carefully  in  at  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  the  Colonel 
was  sure  that  he  saw  something  gleaming  far  back  in  the  darkness, 
and  he  thought  that  the  bright  spot  must  be  one  of  the  tiger's  eyes. 

To  be  sure,  unless  it  was  a  one-eyed  tiger,  he  ought  to  see  two 
bright  spots,  but  he  did  not  stop  to  consider  this  point,  but  took  de- 
liberate aim  at  the  spot  and  fired. 

Nothing  happened.     No  tiger  jumped  out. 

Then  the  Major  fired,  although  he  was  not  quite  certain  that  he  did 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


see  a  shining  spot.  Still  there  was  no  sign  of  a  tiger  having  been 
shot.  Even  if  the  beast  had  been  fairly  hit  by  either  of  the  shots,  it 
is  likely  that  he  would  have  made  some  disturbance  inside  the  cave, 
for  tigers  are  very  hard  to  kill. 

Several  other  shots  were  fired  without  effect,  and  the  hunters  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no  tiger  in  the  cave. 

However,  they  consented  to  let  the  natives  try  a  plan  that  they 
suggested.  This  was  to  smoke  the  tiger  out  of  his  hole.  So  great 
quantities  of  dried  leaves  and  twigs  were  collected,  and  thrust  into  the 
mouth  of  the  cave.  While  this  work  was  going  on,  the  men  were 
very  enthusiastic  about  it,  and  ran  up  with  their  arms  full  of  leaves  and 
sticks,  seeming  to  entirely  forget  what  a  predicament  they  would  be 


OUT  OF  THE  CAVE  SPRANG  AN  ENORMOUS  T7GER. 


COLONEL  MYLES  ADVENTURES.  23 

in  If  a  tiger  should  be  within,  and  if  he  should  make  up  his  mind  to 
come  out  before  they  had  finished  their  job. 

When  all  was  ready  the  dry  stuff  was  fired,  and  very  soon  a  great 
smoke  arose,  and  as  the  wind  blew  towards  the  rocks,  most  of  the 
smoke  went  into  the  cave. 

In  about  three  minutes  a  horrid  growl  was  heard,  and  every  darkey 
took  to  his  heels,  one  of  them  making  about  five  jumps  towards  a  dis- 
tant tree,  up  which  he  climbed  like  a  monkey. 

And  they  were  none  too  quick.  Out  of  the  cave  sprang  an  enor- 
mous tiger. 

The  two  white  men  had  their  rifles  to  their  shoulders  In  an  Instant, 
and  they  fired  almost  simultaneously.  The  tiger  did  not  stop,  however, 
but  rushed  on,  apparently  after  one  of  the  natives.  But  before  he 
reached  him  the  Colonel  fired  the  second  barrel  of  his  rifle,  and  rolled 
the  beast  over.     One  or  two  more  shots  finished  him. 

This  hunt  was  considered  a  great  success,  for  the  tiger  was  a  very 
large  one,  and  was  no  doubt,  the  murderer  of  the  bullocks.  The 
natives  were  delighted,  and  went  to  work  to  take  off  the  skin,  which 
was  awarded  to  our  Colonel,  who  had  fired  the  decisive  shot. 

While  in  the  cave  the  tiger  had  probably  been  lying  behind  some 
rocks,  with  only  part  of  his  head  exposed.  He  had  not  cared  to  leave 
his  entrenchments  while  they  were  firing  at  him,  but  he  evidendy  did 
not  like  smoke. 

The  next  time  the  Colonel  and  Major  Alden  went  out  after  tigers 
they  were  on  an  elephant.  They  rode  In  a  large  wooden  box  on  the 
elephant's  back,  In  which  they  could  stand  and  fire  without  much  fear 
of  a  tiger  getting  at  them.  They  had  wonderful  success,  for  they  came 
upon  no  less  than  five  tigers,  out  in  an  open  space.  One  of  these 
was  soon  killed,  and  the  others  ran  away  in  different  directions,  like 
enormous  kittens. 

But  before  they  got  entirely  away  another  was  shot  dead,  and  two 


24 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


more,  that  ran  behind  some  great  rocks,  were  followed  up,  and  killed 
before  night. 

But  one  very  large  one  slipped  off,  growling  savagely,  into  some 
reeds  by  the  river  bank,  and  was  lost.  This  tiger  was  the  largest  and 
most  dangerous  of  the  lot,  and  the  man  who  drove  the  elephant  said 
he  knew  him  very  well. 

He  asserted  that  this  tiger  was  a  man-eater,  as  a  tiger  is  called  that 
has  once  killed  a  human  being.  Ever  afterward,  according  to  the 
native  traditions,  he  has  a  strong  liking  for  a  man  for  dinner. 


THEY  CAME  UPON  NO  LESS  THAN  FIVE  TIGERS. 


The  driver  said  he  had  seen  him  kill  a  man,  and  that  he  knew  him 
by  his  peculiar  markings.     Whether  this  story  was  true  or  not,  it  was 


COLONEL  MYLES  ADVENTURES.  25 

evident  that  this  was  a  very  large  and  dangerous  beast,  and  ought  to 
be  killed,  if  such  a  thing  should  prove  possible. 

So,  a  few  days  afterwards,  a  large  hunt  was  organized,  having  for 
its  object  the  destruction  of  this  particular  tiger.  The  party  went  out 
mounted  on  three  elephants — two  men  in  each  howdah  or  box,  and  a 
driver  on  each  elephant's  neck.  Besides  the  riders,  there  were  about 
fifty  natives  on  foot,  who  went  along  to  beat  up  the  bushes  and  make 
themselves  generally  useful. 

The  Colonel  and  Major  Alden  were  not  together  this  time,  but  were 
on  different  elephants.  Colonel  Myles'  companion  was  a  military  man 
who  was  a  very  good  shot  and  quite  a  noted  tiger  hunter.  His  name 
was  Captain  Harrison,  and  our  friend  was  very  glad  to  go  with  him, 
because  he  had  the  best  elephants  and  was  likely  to  see  the  best 
sport. 

There  is  a  ver}^  great  difference  in  the  elephants  that  are  taken  on 
tiger  hunts.  Some  of  them  will  get  frightened  and  run  away  the  mo- 
ment they  see  or  hear  a  tiger,  and  then  the  hunters  on  their  backs 
have  not  much  of  a  chance  to  get  a  shot  at  the  beasts.  But  others 
will  stand  their  ground  bravely,  and  the  elephant  that  carried  the  Col- 
onel was  said  to  be  one  of  these. 

They  rode  on,  close  to  the  river  bank  for  many  a  mile  under  a 
dreadfully  hot  sun,  and,  a  little  after  noon  one  of  the  men  who  had 
mounted  a  tall  tree  shouted  out  that  he  had  seen  the  tiger  among  the 
reeds  on  the  river  bank  not  very  far  from  the  spot  where  our  hunting 
party  sat  quietly  on  their  elephants. 

Stones  were  now  thrown  into  the  bushes  and  several  shots  were 
fired  by  the  native  hunters.  But  no  tiger  made  his  appearance.  The 
thicket  was  full  of  thorns  and  was  very  dense,  and  there  were  other 
reasons  for  not  entering  it — one  very  good  one. 

So  the  shouting  and  the  stone-throwing  were  continued,  and  that 
was  about  all  that  was  done  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 


26  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Then  one  of  the  followers,  who  had  a  gun,  crept  on  his  hands  and 
knees  to  the  edge  of  the  thicket  and  peeped  in  under  the  bushes. 

He  looked  all  about  and  could  see  nothing,  and  then  he  cast  his 
eyes  to  one  side,  and  there  lay  the  tiger  not  ten  feet  from  him ! 

It  is  amazing  how  quickly  he  drew  back,  jumped  up,  and  ran  off  at 
the  top  of  his  speed.  As  soon  as  he  reached  what  he  thought  was  a 
safe  distance  he  turned  and  fired  at  the  spot  where  he  had  seen  the  tiger. 

And  what  was  very  astonishing  indeed,  he  hit  it. 

Up  jumped  the  beast  in  a  rage,  and  in  an  instant  he  bounded  out 
of  the  thicket  into  the  open  field. 

He  was  all  ready  for  a  big  fight,  and  he  growled  and  gnashed  his 
teeth  in  a  way  that  would  have  made  your  blood  run  cold. 

Every  body  leveled  their  guns  at  him,  but  he  did  not  give  them  time 
to  take  a  good  aim,  for  he  charged  at  headlong  speed  right  for  the 
foremost  elephant.  The  animal  on  which  the  Colonel  and  his  friend 
were  mounted  was  a  brave  one,  but  he  did  not  fancy  such  a  tiger 
as  this,  and  he  turned  to  run  away. 

But  he  was  not  quick  enough.  The  tiger  bounded  at  him  like  a 
flash  and  had  him  by  the  trunk  before  he  could  lift  it  out  of  harm's  way. 

The  driver  on  the  elephant's  neck  drew  up  his  legs  in  a  hurry,  and 
the  hunters  leaned  over  their  box  to  try  and  get  a  shot.  But  the  ele- 
phant's head  was  in  the  way,  and  they  could  not  get  a  fair  sight  at  the 
tiger. 

As  for  the  poor  elephant,  he  did  not  at  all  fancy  having  a  tiger  chew- 
ing away  at  his  trunk.  So  he  bellowed  and  floundered  about  at  a 
great  rate,  but  that  did  not  seem  to  inconvenience  the  tiger,  who  held 
en  like  a  good  fellow. 

The  other  elephants  and  hunters  were  coming  up,  but  they  did  not 
come  fast  enough.  The  elephants  seemed  to  be  a  little  particular 
about  their  trunks,  and  were  in  no  haste  to  get  near  the  beast  that 
was  hanging  so  grimly  to  their  big  brother. 


COLONEL   MYLES    ADVENTURES. 


27 


THE   TIGER   SEIZES   THE   ELEPHANT   BY   THE   TRUNK. 

Then  our  elephant  got  tired  of  this  sport.  He  gave  his  trunk  a 
swing  under  him  at  the  same  time  that  he  made  a  step  forward. 

This  brought  the  tiger  just  in  front  of  his  right  foreleg. 

Down  knelt  the  elephant  with  one  great  knee  directly  upon  the 
tiger's  body. 

The  elephant  weighed  tons,  and  there  was  a  dead  tiger  under  hi? 
knee  in  less  than  twenty  seconds. 

So  here  was  a  dangerous  and  noted  tiger  killed  without  a  shot  from 
the  brave  hunters  who  went  out  after  him.  But  they  were  none  the 
less  brave  for  that. 

The  only  man  who  did  hit  him  was  a  coward,  and  the  elephant  that 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


killed  him,  would  have  run  away  if  he  could.  Things  turn  out  this 
way  sometimes. 

I  can  only  tell  of  one  more  of  Colonel  Myles'  hunts.  He  spent 
many  months  in  India  and  killed  a  good  many  tigers,  for  which  he 
had  the  thanks  of  the  people  and  the  approval  of  his  own  conscience 
— two  things  that  hunters  do  not  always  have,  I  can  assure  you. 

His  last  hunt,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned,  was  a  bear  hunt.  He 
heard  that  a  large  bear  had  been  seen  a  short  distance  from  the  place 
where  he  was  then  encamped,  and  early  the  next  day  after  receiving 
the  news,  he  went  out  with  one  native  follower  to  see  if  he  could  find 
it.  They  followed  the  tracks  of  the  beast  until  they  reached  a  place 
where  there  were  some  very  high  rocks. 

Mounting  to  the  top  of  these  they  peeped  over  and  saw,  at  the  bot- 
tom of  a  ravine  beneath,  the  mouth  of  a  cave  that  appeared  to  extend 
under  the  rocks  a  short  distance. 

In  this  cave,  lying  with  his  head  on  his  paws,  they  distinctly  saw  a 
large  bear,  fast  asleep.  He  was,  however,  in  such  a  position  that  it 
would  be  very  hard  to  get  a  good  shot  at  him. 

The  Colonel  then  thought  of  a  plan  to  make  him  come  out.  To 
be  sure  they  might  have  hurled  stones  at  him  or  shouted,  but  in  either 
case  the  bear  might  have  been  frightened  and  drawn  himself  into  his 
cave,  entirely  out  of  sight,  or  he  might  have  rushed  up  the  rocks 
faster  than  they  would  like  to  have  him  come. 

The  Colonel  wanted  him  to  come  out  of  his  cave,  but  to  stay  down 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine. 

So  he  whispered  to  his  man  to  unroll  his  long  turban  and  to 
get  out  on  the  branches  of  a  tree  that  overhung  the  mouth  of  the 
cave.  Then  he  was  to  lower  the  turban  down  and  tickle  the  bear's 
nose. 

The  man  did  as  he  was  told,  and,  as  the  turban  was  just  long 
enough  to  reach  the  bear's  nose,  he  was  able  to  tickle  him  nicely. 


COLONEL  MYLES'  ADVENTURES. 


29 


At  first  the  bear  just  fidgeted  a  little  and  then  he  made  a  dab  with 
his  paw  at  the  supposed  fly  that  was  worrying  him. 

But  the  turban  continued  to  tickle  him,  and  at  last  he  woke  up  with 
a  start.  When  he  saw  the  turban  hanging  before  him  he  made  a  snap 
at  it,  and  then  the  man  jerked  it  away. 

Up  jumped  the  bear,  just  like  a  cat  after  a  handkerchief.  He 
made  a  bound  after  the  turban  and  seized  it  with  his  paws  and  teeth. 


THE  BEAR  GAVE  THE  TURBAN  A  VIGOROUS  PULL. 


30  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

He  jumped  so  suddenly  and  gave  the  turban  such  a  vigorous  pull 
that  the  man  came  very  near  being  jerked  out  of  the  tree,  which 
might  have  been  bad  for  him,  but  our  Colonel,  who  was  ready  with  his 
rifle,  fired  and  killed  the  bear  instantly.  He  was  a  big  fellow  and  had 
a  splendid  skin. 

When  the  Colonel  sailed  for  home  he  carried  with  him  half  a  dozen 
bear  and  tiger  skins.  They  were  all  fine  ones,  but  the  best  of  them, 
a  magnificent  skin  that  had  once  belonged  to  a  very  large  and  savage 
Bengal  tiger,  was  a  particular  favorite  with  him,  and  he  now  has  it  on 
his  library  floor,  just  before  the  big  grate  where  he  sits  and  reads  on 
winter  evenings. 

And  yet  he  did  not  kill  the  tiger  to  which  the  skin  belonged.  He 
cannot  point  to  it  as  an  evidence  of  his  bravery  and  skill  in  the  jungles 
of  India. 

It  is  the  skin  of  the  tiger  that  the  elephant  killed  with  his  knee. 


A   SUGAR   CAMP. 


3« 


A  SUGAR  CAMP. 

When  I  was  a  boy  I  knew  no  more  about  a  "  sugar  camp"  than  I 
knew  of  a  molasses-candy  fort. 


THE  bUGAR  CAMP. 


In  fact  I  would    probably  have  thought  one  as  ridiculou.<j  as   the 
other,  if  it  had  been  mentioned  to  me. 


32  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

This  was  because  I  did  not  live  in  a  maple-sugar  country.  I  had 
eaten  maple-sugar,  but  I  had  no  idea  how  it  was  made,  and  when  I 
first  saw  a  sugar-camp,  out  in  the  woods,  I  was  both  surprised  and  in- 
terested. 

In  the  first  place  it  was  not  a  camp  at  all — according  to  my  idea — 
for  what  the  people  at  the  farm-house  where  I  was  visiting,  called  the 
camp  was  a  house — a  very  rough  one,  but  still  a  house.  I  expected 
to  find  tents  and  big  camp-fires  under  the  trees.  I  found  a  fire,  but 
it  was  in  the  house. 

It  was  in  February  that  I  went  out  to  the  camp,  and  although  there 
was  still  snow  on  the  ground,  the  day  was  mild  and  pleasant. 

The  men  were  all  at  work  when  I  arrived,  and  I  wandered  about, 
looking  at  everything  and  asking  questions. 

The  camp  was  in  the  middle  of  a  large  grove  of  sugar-maple  trees, 
and  in  each  of  the  large  trees  a  hole  had  been  bored,  and  a  little  spout, 
made  of  a  piece  of  elder  wood,  with  the  pith  scooped  out,  had  been 
inserted  in  each  hole.  Through  these  spouts  the  sap  was  dripping 
into  pans  and  wooden  troughs,  placed  at  the  foot  of  each  tree. 

As  fast  as  these  pans  and  troughs  were  filled  they  were  taken  to 
the  house  and  emptied  into  boilers  that  were  suspended  over  the  fire. 
Here  the  sap  boiled  away  at  a  great  rate,  and  the  men  took  turns  in 
stirring  it  so  that  it  should  not  burn. 

I  found  that  this  sugar-making  was  quite  a  tedious  operation,  as  the 
sap  had  to  be  boiled  twice,  and  a  great  deal  of  care  and  time  was 
spent  upon  it  before  it  cooled  down  into  the  hard,  light-brown  maple 
sugar  of  which  most  boys  and  girls  are  so  fond. 

But  I  saw  enough  to  make  me  understand  the  principles  of  the 
business. 

I  found  that  when  the  sap  began  to  rise  in  the  trees,  in  the  early 
spring,  there  was  always  enough  of  it  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  tree, 
and  a  good  deal  besides  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  sugar-makers. 


A   SUGAR    CAMP.  2>2> 


I  watched  all  the  processes,  and  tasted  the  sap  when  it  first  flowed 
from  the  tree  and  in  all  its  different  stages.  And  when  I  went  back 
to  the  farm-house,  early  in  the  afternoon,  I  thought  that  it  would  be  a 
great  thing  to  have  a  grove  of  sugar-maples,  and  to  be  able  to  make 
one's  own  sugar,  and  to  be  independent,  in  that  respect  at  least,  of  the 
grocery-store. 

I  had  not  yet  taken  a  meal  at  the  farm-house,  for  I  had  arrived  that 
day  after  breakfast,  and  had  gone  out  to  the  camp  soon  afterward. 

When  supper-time  came — and  long  before  in  fact — I  was  very  hun- 
gry, having  had  but  a  lunch  in  the  woods.  And  so  I  ate  bravely  of 
the  good  things  that  were  so  bountifully  spread  upon  the  table.  But 
when  I  came  to  drink  my  tea,  which  was  sweetened  with  maple-sugar, 
I  did  not  like  it.  And  the  more  I  drank  the  less  I  cared  to  own  a 
sugar-maple  grove,  and  brighter  and  brighter  became  the  visions  of 
the  grocery  store,  with  its  savory  smells,  and  its  great  bins  of  sugar 
from  the  sugar-canes  of  Louisiana  and  Cuba. 

When  supper  was  over  I  had  not  finished  my  cup  of  tea,  but  I  had 
changed  my  mind  completely  about  the  desirableness  of  owning  a 
5ugar-maple  grove,  and  making  one's  own  sugar. 


34 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


SILVER-PLATING. 

The  precious  metals  are  gold,  silver,  and  platinum.  They  are  so 
called  because  they  are  rare  and  costly.  Platinum  is  the  most  rare, 
and  is  used  only  to  a  very  moderate  extent.  '  Gold  is  more  plentiful ; 
and  silver  much  more  abundant,  though  sufficiently  rare  to  be  con- 
sidered a  precious  metal. 


BATTERY  FOR  SILVER-PLATING. 

We  do  not  often  hear  of  articles  of  table  service  of  solid  gold, 
though  solid  silver  is  comparatively  common.  But,  with  the  help  of 
electricity,  skilled  workmen  are  able  to  cover  the  cheaper  metals  with 
one  or  more  coatings  of  gold  or  silver,  and  the  articles  thus  treated, 
look  like  solid  gold  or  silver. 


SILVER  PLATING.  35 


A  very  small  quantity  of  the  precious  metals  will  plate  a  large  num- 
ber of  articles ;  but  even  with  this  small  amount  of  gold,  the  gold- 
plated  substances  are  too  costly  to  be  in  general  use  ;  though  it  is 
quite  common  to  line  silver-plated  articles  with  a  thin  plate  of 
gold. 

Exceedingly  beautiful  things  are  made  of  silver-plated  ware,  for 
table  service  especially,  but  it  is  also  much  used  for  ornaments,  and 
even  statues  and  statuettes  are  made  of  it,  as  well  as  a  great  variety 
of  useful  things. 

As  you  are  in  the  habit  of  seeing  so  many  silver-plated  articles  I 
think  you  will  be  interested  if  I  tell  you,  briefly,  how  the  plating  is 
done.  But  you  will  understand  my  description  better  if  you  know 
something  about  the  galvanic  battery,  and  the  laws  which  govern  its 
action,  and  if  you  have  not  studied  this  matter,  any  one  of  your  ac- 
quaintance who  possesses  an  electrical  machine,  will  no  doubt  take 
pleasure  in  explaining  it  to  you. 

I  am  supposing  you  did  not  know  before  that  the  same  agent 
which  causes  the  lightning  to  flash  from  the  clouds,  puts  the  silver  on 
your  tea-spoons. 

After  the  article  to  be  silver-plated  has  been  formed  out  of  some 
cheap  metal,  or  a  metallic  composition,  it  is  thoroughly  cleansed  ;  for 
there  must  not  be  the  very  slightest  taint  of  greasiness  or  dirt  upon 
the  surface.  The  method  of  cleaning  depends  upon  the  metal ;  some 
are  burned  in  the  fire,  and  some  are  purified  with  alkalies.  They  are 
next  washed  in  acids,  then  scoured  with  sand  or  pumice  stone,  and 
washed,  and  brushed.  They  are  now  clean,  and  are  dried  in  sawdust 
to  avoid  handling  and  soiling. 

All  of  these  operations  have  to  be  carefully  done.  They  are  gen- 
erally performed  by  women. 

Tliey  are  then  taken  to  the  gilder  to  receive  their  deposit  of  metal, 
whether  zinc,  copper,  gold,  or  silver. 


36  TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Our  articles,  you  know,  are  to  be  silver-plated.  They  are  therefore 
placed  in  a  fluid  chemical  mixture  contained  in  a  box  of  wood,  stone- 
ware, or  some  other  non-metallic  substance,  which  is  called  the  bath. 

Through  the  liquid  contained  in  this  bath,  the  electrical  current  is 
passed  in  this  way.  The  wires  of  a  galvanic  battery  are  connected 
with  two  metal  rods  lying  across  the  box.  The  things  to  be  plated 
are  hung  by  metal  hooks  to  one  of  these  rods — which  communicates 
with  the  negative  pole  of  the  battery.  To  the  other  rod,  which  com- 
municates with  the  positive  pole  of  the  battery,  is  hung  a  piece  of 
silver.  This  completes  the  circuit,  and  the  electrical  fluid  passes  from 
pole  to  pole,  going  from  the  battery  into  the  rods,  and  through  the 
metallic  hooks,  and  articles  hung  upon  them,  into  the  liquid.  The 
silver  on  the  positive  side  is  dissolved  by  the  electricity,  and  deposited 
in  a  thin  layer  upon  the  articles  on  the  negative  side. 

It  requires  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  business  to  know  just  how 
to  manage  all  these  matters,  so  that  the  deposit  shall  leave  an  even 
surface.  There  are  many  little  secrets,  known  only  to  manufacturers, 
which  enable  them  to  increase  the  beauty  of  the  plating. 

But  the  articles  are  not  ready  for  use  as  soon  as  plated.  A  good 
deal  is  to  be  done  to  them  in  the  way  of  brushing,  polishing,  and 
burnishing.  And  then  they  often  have  to  be  ornamented  in  plain 
designs,  or  with  garlands  of  flowers,  or  sprays  of  leaves.  Sometimes 
figures  of  men  or  animals  are  moulded  upon  them.  Occasionally, 
for  splendid  objects  of  art,  the  leaves  and  flowers  are  colored  their 
natural  tints. 


r£J?y  ANCIENT  ANIMALS. 


37 


VERY  ANCIENT  ANIMALS. 

*r  you  boys  never  went  on  a  "possum  hunt"  you  have  missed  a  good 
deal  of  fun.  I  really  cannot  tell  which  enjoys  this  hunt  the  most,  men, 
or  boys,  or  dogs.     I  think  we  can  guess  pretty  well  which  enjoys  it 


ANTEDILUVIAN     OPOSSUM. 


least — the  opossum.  If  he  gets  safely  off,  though,  as  he  does  very 
cften,  I  have  no  doubt  he  enjoys  thinking  over  the  chase,  and  laughs 
to  himself  at  the  way  he  outwitted  dogs  and  men;  for,  of  course,  he 
would  put  the  dogs  first,  as  being  of  the  greater  importance  in  his  eyes. 
Moonlight  nights  are  the  times  to  hunt  opossums.  Where  these 
animals  go  in  the  day-time  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,  but  they  roll  them- 


38  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

selves  up  in  a  ball,  and  sleep  soundly  somewhere,  entirely  out  of  the 
way  of  everybody.  But,  at  night,  they  are  awake  and  active,  and  look 
up  their  food. 

And  then  it  is  that  we  look  them  up  for  food ;  and  for  the  fun  of  the 
Imnt.  More  for  the  fun,  I  am  afraid,  than  the  food  ;  for  we  get  plenty 
to  eat  without  going  after  wild  animals ;  whereas  the  poor  opossum 
looks  for  his  food  because  he  is  really  hungry. 

We  start  off,  on  some  fine  moonlight  night,  a  party  of  men  and 
boys.  We  are  in  high  spirits,  and  laugh  and  talk,  and  have  a  good 
dme.  The  dogs  are  in  high  spirits  too,  and  run  and  frisk  gaily  about. 
But  when  we  approach  the  woods  we  grow  quiet  and  begin  to  look 
around  expectantly.  The  dogs  understand  perfectly  what  business 
we  are  upon,  and  know  that  we  rely  upon  them  to  "tree"  the  game. 
5o  they  trot  soberly  on  before  us,  turning  to  the  right  or  left  as  their 
scent  leads  them. 

Presently  they  come  upon  an  opossum.  The  animal  starts  off  on 
a  fast  run.  Then  follows  a  mad  stampede  of  dogs,  boys  and  men. 
No  need  now  to  keep  quiet.  We  crash  through  bushes  and  briers. 
Finally  the  opossum,  seeing  that  the  dogs  are  gaining  upon  him,  takes 
refuge  in  a  tree.  Up  he  goes,  like  a  flash,  to  the  very  topmost 
branches,  curls  his  tail  and  legs  around  a  limb,  tucks  his  head  under 
the  fur  of  his  breast,  hangs  limp,  and  pretends  to  be  dead. 

He  thinks  now  he  is  safe,  but  we  know  we  have  him  sure.  For 
we  have  axes  with  us,  and  we  cut  down  the  tree.  The  opossum 
makes  no  effort  to  get  away  while  the  noise  of  cutting  and  the 
shaking  of  the  tree  is  going  on.  And  when  the  tree  comes  down,  Mr. 
"Possum"  is  ours. 

His  flesh  tastes  like  young  pig,  only  more  tender  and  delicate. 

But,  you  will  say,  this  picture  is  not  like  our  opossums.  It  does  not 
seem  very  much  like  one  at  first  sight,  but,  on  looking  closer,  you  will 
see  several  points  of  resemblance.     Our  opossum  carries  its  young 


VEHY  ANCIENT  ANIMALS.  39 


in  a  pouch  sometimes,  and  sometimes  on  its  back,  and  this   one,  you 

see,  has  its  three  cunning  Httle  young  ones  on  its  back,  with  their  dear 
little  tails  curled  lovingly  around  their  mother's  big  tail.  It  has  a 
long  prehensile  tail,  and  long  flexible  feet,  so  that  it  can  fasten  itself 
to  the  branches  of  trees  just  as  ours  do.  Its  fur  is  pretty  much  the 
same.     In  some  respects  it  is  not  like  ours. 


LABYRINTHODON. 


There  are  no  opossums  now  just  like  this  one.  This  species  lived 
before  the  flood;  and  is,  therefore,  antediluvian.  The  animal  in  the 
picture  was  never  hunted  by  men  and  dogs,  because  neither  men  nor 
dogs  existed  in  his  days.  I  think  it  should  make  us  feel  a  little 
ashamed,  when  we  are  chasing  opossums,  to  think  that  their  ancestors 
had  possession  of  the  world  before  ours. 


40 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


If  men  had  lived  in  those  days  they  would  have  had  some  queef 
game.     How  would  you  like  to  hunt  a  Labyrinthodon  ? 

This  remarkable  beast  lived  about  the  same  time  as  the  antediluvian 
opossum.  Not  a  very  agreeable  acquaintance  to  meet  face  to  face. 
A  glance  at  his  teeth  would  be  sufficient  to  make  one's  hair  stand  on 
end.  How  awful  he  must  have  looked  with  his  mouth  open  !  I  think 
he  would  have  made  but  two  mouthfuls  of  the  Cardiff  giant  if  he  had 
had  a  bite  at  him  before  he  turned  into  stone. 


ANOPLOTHERIUM. 


Do  you  notice  the  strange  way  his  teeth  are  placed,  working  In  and 
out  of  each  other  ?  This  suggests  a  labyrinth,  and  hence  his  name, 
Labyrinthodon. 

You  may  not  recognise  him  as  a  toad,  but  such  he  was,  and  was 
as  big  as  an  ox. 

So  the  toad  in  the  fable,  which,  you  remember,  attempted  to  swell 
himself  to  the  size  of  an  ox,  and  came  to  grief  thereby,  was  only  try- 
ing to  make  himself  such  as  his  forefathers  had  been. 

The  opossum  was  about  the  best-looking  animal  on  the  earth  in 
those  days.     The  rest  were  nearly  all  frierhtful  monsters.     There  was 


VERY  ANCIENT  ANIMALS.  41 

the  Ichthyosaurus,  a  great  fish-lizard,  thirty  feet  long,  and  ten  times 
more  dreadful  than  the  present  crocodiles.  Then  there  was  the 
Plesiosaurus,  which  had  the  body  and  feet  of  a  turtle,  only  many  times 
larger,  a  short  stumpy  tail,  and  a  neck  like  a  serpent,  thirty  feet  long. 
And  the  Pterodactyls,  like  huge  bats,  with  birds'  heads,  and  very  long 
bills. 

After  this  race  of  animals  died  off  there  appeared  upon  the  earth 
a  better-looking  set.  But  these,  too,  all  died  long  before  the  deluge, 
and  we  have  none  of  them  now. 

One  of  these,  the  Anoplotherium,  is  supposed  to  have  been  some- 
thing like  our  otter,  but  it  was  much  larger;  and  I  don't  think,  myself 
from  the  pictures  we  have  of  him,  that  the  likeness  is  very  strong. 


42  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES. 

The  Antis  Indians  live  in  the  mountainous  districts  of  Peru.  They 
have  a  proverb:  "From  happiness  to  misfortune  is  only  a  flea-leap." 

Iturim  proved  the  truth  of  this  very  early  in  life.  He  was  a  young 
Antis  who  had  been  so  successful  in  his  various  journeys  to  the  cities  on 
the  coast,  where  he  sold  apes  and  birds,  that  he  was  able  to  build  and 
furnish  a  fine  house;  to  adorn  his  person  bravely;  and  to  take  a  wife. 

This  lucky  fellow  did  not  even  have  to  make  a  clearing  in  the  woods 
for  his  house.  He  found  in  the  forest,  just  in  the  right  place,  an  open 
space,  containing  only  a  small  grove  of  palms.  These  graceful  trees 
would  make  a  pleasant  shade  for  his  dwelling,  and  the  forest  was  suf- 
ficiently distant  not  to  make  it  close  and  hot. 

If  this  clearing  had  been  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  it  would  not 
have  answered  his  purpose.  For  the  Antis  always  make  the  clearings 
for  their  dwellings  at  a  little  distance  from  a  water-course,  taking  care 
to  have  a  thick  growth  between  them  and  a  river.  Otherwise  Indians 
who  are  not  friendly  to  them  would  see  the  houses  while  paddling  by 
in  their  canoes,  and  seize  upon  the  first  opportunity  to  steal  everything 
they  contained. 

Iturim's  house,  or  ajoupa,  as  he  called  it,  was  very  large,  because  he 
owned  so  much  property.  Stakes  were  driven  into  the  ground  for 
supports  to  a  long,  sloping  roof,  thatched  with  straw.  The  sides  were 
made  of  mud,  hardened  in  the  sun.  He  had  a  large  assortment  of 
pots,  pans,  kettles,  knives,  &c.,  that  he  had  brought  up  from  the  coast 
from  time  to  time.  He  made  a  net-work  of  strong  vine  stalks  near 
the  roof,  on  which  to  hang  provisions.  Otherwise  the  ants  which' were 
sure  to  invade  the  premises  would  make  sad  havoc  with  the  eatables. 
On  the  earthen  floor  he  spread  beautifully  prepared  tapir  skins. 
There  was  not  so  handsome  a  residence  in  all  the  Antis  region. 

For   his  personal  adornment,  he  had  tattooed  his    face  with  three 


ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES. 


43 


THE  PALM   GROVE. 


44  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


dotted  blue  lines  across  each  cheek,  and  a  purple  star  in  his  forehead. 
He  dressed  partly  in  the  European  style,  having  learned  this  on  the 
coast.  His  trowsers  were  of  blue  cotton,  and  his  jacket  of  red  cotton ; 
on  state  occasions,  he  wore  a  long  scarf  cloak  of  white  cotton  about 
him,  and  put  a  conical  cap  on  his  head.  I  must  not  forget  what  he 
considered  the  most  elegant  part  of  his  toilette — a  small  plate  of 
highly  polished  silver,  which  hung  from  his  nose.  He  daubed 
patches  of  red  and  black  paint  on  his  face,  and  thus  attired,  he  went 
for  his  wife.  She  was  slightly  tattooed  on  her  forehead  and  chin  in 
blue  and  red  plaids.  Usually  she  was  dressed  in  a  long  white  sacque, 
but,  on  this  occasion  she  wore  a  full  skirt  of  white  with  a  gay  scarf 
wound  around  her  shoulders.  Her  ornaments  were  colored  seeds, 
and  tapirs'  claws.  She  also  put  on  a  conical  cap  that  Iturim  had 
given  her,  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  it  was  not  a  proper  head-dress  for 
a  woman. 

Miniqui,  the  bride,  lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from  the 
palm  grove;  and,  after  the  wedding  feast,  Iturim  conducted  her  to  her 
new  home. 

They  crossed  the  river  on  a  rude  suspension  bridge,  made  of  osiers ; 
and  you  may  be  sure  Miniqui  was  pleased  with  the  large,  sumptuously 
furnished  house  she  found  in  the  palm  grove.  They  were  welcomed 
by  a  large  pet  ape,  named  Simuco.  He  was  a  vecy  wise  creature, 
and  devotedly  attached  to  his  master. 

For  a  short  time  all  three  lived  together  in  the  happiest  manner. 
Iturim  hunted  and  fished;  Miniqui  did  the  housework;  and  Simuco 
amused  them  both  with  his  funny  tricks. 

But  a  tribe  of  Antis  came  up  from  the  lower  river,  and  challenged 
the  Upper  Antis  to  a  canoe  race.  The  elderly  men  were  in  favor  of 
declining  the  challenge;  but  the  younger  ones,  at  the  head  of  whom 
was  Iturim,  were  eager  for  the  contest;  and  so  it  was  determined  upon. 

The  rivers  in  the  Antis  country  are  mountain  torrents.     Even  in 


ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES. 


45 


•^  •■*^T*^ 


46  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

the  places  where  the  water  seems  to  flow  smoothly  there  are  strong 
under-currents  that  call  for  a  great  degree  of  skill  in  navigation.  And 
every  few  miles,  the  rivers  dash  over  rocks,  and  form  dangerous 
rapids.  The  Indians  are  very  expert  in  managing  their  canoes  in  this 
kind  of  boating,  which  is  called  "  shooting  the  rapids  ;"  but  with  all 
their  skill  and  practice,  they  cannot  help  fatal  accidents  occurring  quite 
frequently.  The  mere  upsetting  of  a  boat  is  nothing,  for  the  Antis 
is  alnriost  as  much  at  home  in  the  water  as  on  the  land ;  but  it  is  im- 
possible to  swim  in  the  whirling  waters  of  the  rapids,  and  the  danger 
consists  in  being  dashed  against  the  rocks,  or  violently  sucked  under 
the  waves. 

The  prize,  to  be  given  to  the  man  who  should  first  reach  the  goal 
in  this  race  was  one  of  those  ingenious  pocket  knives  that  contain  a 
number  of  tools  in  a  small  compass. 

These  savages  had  never  seen  anything  like  it  until  now  when  one 
was  displayed ;  and  to  their  ambition  to  distinguish  themselves,  was 
added  a  keen  desire  to  possess  this  treasure. 

The  race  was  three  miles  long,  and  there  were  two  rapids  to  "  shoot." 
The  second  one  was  very  dangerous,  and  was  full  of  jagged  rocks. 
At  some  distance  below  this  rapid  the  women  and  children  of  the  two 
tribes  assembled  to  watch  the  boats  rush  over  the  fall,  and  to  see  them 
come  up  to  the  goal.  With  them  were  the  few  men  who  did  not  join 
in  the  sport.  There  were  eight  canoes,  with  three  men  in  each.  One 
of  these  men  was  the  leader ;  and  it  was  his  business  to  guide  the  boat 
with  a  paddle  safely  and  swiftly  through  the  rapids.  These  eight 
leaders  were  the  candidates  for  the  prize.  The  one  whose  boat  first 
touched  the  beach  at  Toucan  Point  was  to  have  the  knife.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  other  men  to  row  the  boats  until  they  approached  the 
rapids.  It  seems  to  me  that  these  men  were  also  entitled  to  a  prize ; 
for,  of  course,  the  boats  that  first  reached  the  rapids  were  most  likely 
to  win  ;  and  on  the  calm  stretches  of  the  river  everything  depended 


ITURIAI,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES.  47 

upon  the  skill  of  the  rowers.  But  the  Antis  have  their  own  rules  for 
boat  racing. 

It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  the  eight  light,  gracefully-pointed  canoes 
abreast,  at  the  start.  But  nobody  was  there  to  witness  it,  unless  we 
allow  Simuco,  the  monkey,  to  be  a  person.  He  sat  upon  the  bank, 
and  gravely  watched  the  scene.  What  he  thought  of  it  I  don't  know, 
but  he  perfectly  understood  that  he  was  not  to  be  of  the  party.  He 
made  no  attempt  to  enter  any  of  the  boats,  but  as  soon  as  the  signal 
was  given,  and  the  canoes  started  off,  he  darted  off  also,  running 
swiftly  along  the  shore,  or  scrambling  over  rocks. 

Where  the  boats  started  the  river  widened  into  a  sort  of  lake,  but 
it  soon  became  too  narrow  for  the  boats  to  keep  abreast.  The  Indi- 
ans knew  this,  but  they  knew  that  they  would  not  long  keep  abreast 
in  any  case.  Before  the  first  mile  was  passed  the  boats  were  much 
scattered.  Four  canoes  went  over  the  first  rapid  side  by  side.  Two 
of  them  were  so  close  that  they  came  near  crashing  together,  and  their 
leaders  yelled  and  scolded  at  each  other  furiously.  One  of  these  was 
Iturim,  and  the  other  a  young  man  of  the  lower  Antis,  Altisquo.  But 
the  four  canoes  went  over  together,  and  swept  into  the  calmer  water 
with  their  bows  in  a  straight  line  with  each  other. 

During  the  next  mile  and  a  half  of  quiet  water  two  of  these  canoes 
fell  back,  and  were  passed  by  some  that  had  come  over  the  rapid 
more  slowly.  The  rowers  of  Iturim  and  Altisquo  kept  an  even  stroke 
with  their  oars.  Occasionally  a  boat  would  pass  them,  but  would  soon 
give  out,  and  the  two  canoes  were  still  side  by  side  when  the  last,  and 
most  dangerous  rapid  came  in  sight. 

The  rowers  drew  in  their  oars.  Their  task  was  done.  Iturim  and 
Altisquo  stood  each  in  the  stern  of  his  boat,  and  dexterously  guided 
their  frail  crafts  among  the  black  rocks,  turning  aside  from  the  whirl- 
ing eddies  that  threatened  to  suck  them  in.  Each  was  anxious  to  be 
the  first  to  reach  the  narrowest  and  most  perilous  part  of  the  voyage. 


48 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


f  Im 

{ 

ill' 

1 

ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES.  49 

Iturim  shot  into  this  vortex  of  waters  more  than  a  boat's  length 
ahead  of  Altisquo.  It  was  impossible  now  for  the  latter  to  pass  him. 
The  prize  was  virtually  won.  Iturim  was  full  of  joy,  though  the  spray 
from  the  waves  wet  him  from  head  to  foot,  and  his  canoe  often  grated 
against  the  rocks,  or  was  tossed  from  side  to  side. 

Altisquo  saw  that  the  swift  rush  of  waters  would  now  bear  his  rival 
over  the  fall  before  he  could  hope  to  overtake  him  ;  and  his  heart  was 
filled  with  rage  and  hate.  Suddenly  an  opportunity  presented  itself 
to  him.  His  quick  eye  saw  that  he  had  one  chance  more.  It  was  a 
wicked  chance,  but  that  did  not  matter  to  him.  To  the  left  of  Iturim's 
boat  was  a  whirlpool.  The  waters  swirled  furiously  around  a  rock, 
throwing  up  blinding  sheets  of  spray.  By  a  sudden  movement  Al- 
tisquo turned  the  stern  of  his  boat  around  at  the  risk  of  breaking  it 
against  the  rocks.  This  brought  him  into  swift  collision  with  the  stern 
of  Iturim's  boat,  and  turned  the  latter  violently  around  towards  the 
whirlpool,  while  his  own  canoe  swung  into  the  current,  and  rushed 
over  the  fall,  stern  foremost.  It  spun  around  two  or  three  times  after 
this  fearful  leap,  then  darted  off  bow  foremost,  and  Altisquo  was  the 
first  man  who  beached  his  boat  at  Toucan  Point. 

Fortunately  Iturim's  boat  was  not  quite  as  near  the  whirlpool  as 
Altisquo  supposed,  and  did  not  get  drawn  into  it,  as  he  had  hoped. 
The  shock  it  received  sent  it  violently  over  the  fall,  dashing  it  against 
a  rock,  where  it  was  broken  to  pieces,  and  the  two  rowers  tumbled  out. 
But  they  were  in  comparatively  still  water,  and  succeeded  in  swimming 
to  the  shore. 

But,  as  Iturim  was  standing  in  the  stern  when  the  collision  took 
place,  he  was  thrown  out  of  the  boat  with  such  violence  that  he  fell 
into  the  whirlpool.  He  clutched  fast  hold  of  a  projecting  rock,  but 
the  waters  were  too  strong  for  him.  He  could  not  drag  himself  out 
by  the  slippery  rocks,  and  he  would  certainly  have  been  sucked  under 
and  drowned,  but  for  Simuco.  The  ape  had  reached  the  lower  rapid 
4 


.; o  TALES  O  UT  OF  SCHO  OL . 

before  the  boats,  and  was  watching  the  scene  with  a  lively  interest 
when  the  fatal  collision  occurred.  He  comprehended  at  once  his 
master's  situation,  and,  springing  quickly  from  rock  to  rock,  seized 
Iturim  by  the  hair,  and  held  him  with  so  firm  a  grip  that  he  was 
enabled  with  some  difficulty  to  scramble  upon  the  rock,  and  was  taken 
off  by  a  boat. 

The  leaders,  who  were  steering  the  two  boats  not  far  behind  Al- 
tisquo,  were  too  much  occupied  in  making  their  own  way  through  the 
dangerous  pass  to  observe  closely  what  had  been  done.  But  the  four 
rowers  of  these  canoes  were  not  deceived  by  Altisquo's  quick  move- 
ments. They  saw  very  clearly  how  unfairly  he  had  won  the  race,  and 
the  spectators  suspected  foul  play  from  what  they  could  observe  of  his 
manoeuvres.  After  hearing  all  the  testimony,  the  judges  awarded  the 
prize  to  Iturim,  He  had,  virtually,  won  the  race  before  the  accident, 
and,  as  this  was  the  result  of  a  malicious  assault,  and  not  brought  about 
by  his  own  carelessness,  it  was  decreed  that  the  marvelous  tool-knife 
should  be  his. 

But  alas  for  Iturim's  fine  clothes !  He  had  arrayed  himself  in  his 
very  best  European  costume  in  order  to  show  off  before  the  strangers, 
and  now  he  was  clad  in  rags.  Simuco  had  snatched  the  high-pointed 
cap  from  the  waves,  and  put  it  again  on  his  master's  head,  but  its 
ambitious  peak  hung  down,  limp  and  forlorn.  Iturim  was  rather  crest- 
fallen, at  first,  at  the  ridiculous  figure  he  cut.  He  certainly  did  not 
look  like  a  hero.  But  the  knife  consoled  him,  and  he  was  in  a  jolly 
humor  when  he  walked  home  with  his  prize  in  his  pocket,  and  his 
faithful  ape  perched  upon  his  shoulder. 

This  was  at  the  end  of  the  day,  after  a  great  feast  in  honor  of  his 
victory,  in  which  both  tribes  of  Antis  had  joined.  The  Lower  Antis 
had  bidden  farewell,  however,  some  time  before,  and  were  now  on 
their  way  back  to  their  own  country. 

MiniquI  had  left  the  river  with  the  women  and  children,  and  had 


ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES.  51 


gone  home  before  Iturim.  What  was  his  surprise  then  when  he  met 
her  in  the  woods  some  distance  from  the  house.  She  came 
riying  towards  him,  with  her  arms  outstretched,  and  shrieking  as 
she  ran. 

"  Everything  is  gone !"  she  cried,  as  soon  as  she  saw  Iturim. 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  he  asked.  "  I  don't  know,"  said  Miniqui, 
"  but  it  is  all  gone — house  and  all !  When  I  got  home  there  was 
nothing  there  !" 

Iturim  ran  to  his  grove  at  his  best  speed.  His  house  had  been 
torn  to  pieces,  the  stakes  broken  up,  and  the  straw  trampled  in  the 
mud.  All  his  possessions,  which  he  had  been  collecting  for  so  many 
years,  his  pots,  pans,  baskets,  beads,  silver  ornaments,  clothes,  tapir 
skins,  everything  had  been  taken  away.  The  thieves  had  not  left  him 
so  much  as  an  old  shoe. 

He  knew  very  well  who  had  done  it.  Altisquo  and  his  two  rowers 
had  been  missed  from  the  feast  at  an  early  hour,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  they  were  too  angry  to  remain,  and  had  returned  quietly  home; 
and  ever>^body  was  glad  they  had  gone.  But  instead  of  that,  they  had 
been  executing  this  vengeance  upon  their  successful  rival. 

Iturim  was  now  the  poorest  man  in  the  Antis  tribe,  and  only  a  few 
hours  before  he  had  been  the  richest. 

"Only  a  flea-leap  from  happiness  to  misfortune,"  he  muttered. 

You  might  suppose  that  this  mean  and  shameful  deed  of  Altisquo 
would  arouse  the  whole  tribe  of  the  Upper  Antis  to  make  war  upon 
the  Lower  Antis.  That  would  have  been  the  case  with  many  Indian 
tribes.  In  civilized  communities  the  friends  of  Iturim  would  have  de- 
manded that  Altisquo  should  be  tried,  and  properly  punished.  But 
the  Antis  did  neither  of  these  things.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  theft  is 
so  common  among  them,  that  robbing  a  house  is  considered  rather  a 
tine  thing  to  do,  provided,  of  course,  that  the  house  robbed  is  not  one's 
own.    If  an  Antis,  on  returning  home,  finds  his  things  have  been  stolen, 


52 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


he  says  nothing,  but  watches  his  chance  to  make  good  his  loss  by 
stealing  from  any  house  belonging  to  another  Antis  tribe. 

So  Altisquo  was  not  punished  at  that  time  for  his  theft,  and  he  felt 
that  he  had  compensated  himself  for  the  loss  of  the  prize. 

Iturim  and  Miniqui  found  shelter  in  her  father's  house  until  they 
should  be  able  to  have  another  house  of  their  own.     Iturim  set  at 


A  NEW  VENTURE  FOR  FORTUNE. 


once  to  work  snaring  birds,  and  catching  monkeys,  that  he  might  take 
them  down  the  river  and  sell  them  at  a  large  settlement,  whence  they 
would  be  carried  over  the  mountains  to  the  coast.  This  was  a  profita- 
ble business,  provided  he  was  able  to  get  his  birds  and  monkeys  there 
safely. 

When  he  had  got  together  some  twenty  birds,  and  three  or  four 


ITURIM,  AND  HIS  FORTUNES.  53 

monkeys,  he  made  up  his  mind  it  was  time  for  him  to  start  upon  his 
journey,  and  he  considered  what  would  be  the  best  way  to  carry  his 
menagerie.  He  hit  upon  the  brilHant  idea  of  building  a  raft,  and 
taking  them  down  the  river  in  this  way. 

It  seemed  as  if  Iturim  was  again  to  be  lucky  in  his  ventures 
after  fortune,  for  just  as  he  had  everything  prepared  to  start,  two 
English  travelers  arrived  in  the  Antis  country,  and  were  glad  enough 
to  make  a  bargain  with  Iturim  for  a  passage  down  the  river  for  their 
baggage.  He,  on  his  part,  was  very  glad  to  take  the  cargo,  for 
there  were  a  great  many  bundles  and  packages,  and  the  sum  paid  him 
was  as  much  as  he  expected  to  make  from  the  sale  of  his  animals. 

He  embarked  at  a  place  several  miles  below  the  Antis  settlements, 
and,  from  that  point,  had  a  river  clear  of  rapids,  and  made  a  safe  and 
prosperous  voyage.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  his  birds 
and  monkeys,  and  the  proceeds  of  this  sale,  with  the  money  the  two 
Englishmen  paid  him,  enabled  him  to  load  his  raft  with  a  variety  of 
cooking  utensils  and  other  things  for  his  house,  and  he  returned  safely 
to  Miniqui  with  all  the  merchandise. 

So,  when  the  new  house  was  built  under  the  palms,  it  was  almost 
as  richly  furnished  as  the  first  one  had  been,  and  Iturim  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  he  had  again  made  his  fortune.  And  he  was  right 
He  had  all  he  wanted,  and  that  is  a  fortune,  always. 


54  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


LARGE  HOUSES  FOR  SMALL  TENANTS. 

In  Australia  there  is  a  bird — the  Megapodius — that  builds  for  its 
family  an  enormous  dwelling.  It  is  not  a  large  bird,  being  about  the 
size  of  our  partridge,  but  it  seems  to  have  very  lofty  ideas.  If  a  man 
built  a  house  in  the  same  proportion  to  his  size,  as  that  of  this  bird  is 
to  its  size,  his  house  would  be  twice  as  large  as  the  Great  Pyramid  ol 
Egypt.  It  would  be  very  inconvenient  to  have  such  residences  as 
these,  and  they  would  be  very  difficult  to  keep  clean,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  great  expense  of  building  them.  A  man  would  have  to  call  in  the 
aid  of  hundreds  of  workmen,  and  pay  them  well,  and  years  would  be 
required  to  complete  such  a  mansion,  and  a  great  many  different  in- 
struments would  be  called  into  use.  Whereas  two  of  these  birds  will 
build  their  huge  dwelling  in  a  few  weeks,  with  no  tools  but  their  own 
beaks  and  claws,  and  with  no  expense  whatever. 

The  Megapodius  does  not  believe  in  gay  clothes,  and  is  always 
dressed  in  plain  and  sombre  brown.  It  is  an  intelligent,  patient,  indus- 
trious, persevering  little  creature,  as  you  will  see  from  the  way  it  con- 
structs its  nest. 

It  begins  by  gathering  together  a  mass  of  leaves,  branches,  ana 
plants.  With  these  it  spreads  out  on  the  ground,  in  the  place  it  has 
selected  for  its  nest,  a  thick  bed  of  a  circular  form.  Upon  this  it 
heaps  up  earth  and  stones,  and  packs  them  well  together,  continuing 
to  labor  perseveringly  until  it  raises  a  mound  from  eight  to  fourteen 
feet  high.  Some  of  these  mounds  measure  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
round  the  base,  and  as  much  as  twenty-four  feet  up  the  slope.  A 
circular  opening  is  left  in  the  center  of  this  mound,  and  extends  from 
the  top  to  the  ground. 

In  this  opening  herbs  and  leaves  are  heaped  up ;  and,  on  this  the 


LARGE  HOUSES  FOR   SMALL  TENANTS. 


5S 


5&  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Megapodius  places  its  eggs,  eight  in  number,  arranged  in  a  circle,  at 
equal  distances  from  each  other,  with  the  points  downward. 

After  the  female  has  performed  this  task  of  arranging  the  eggs, 
both  of  the  parent  birds  leave  the  nest,  for  they  are  of  no  use  what- 
ever to  the  young  birds  after  they  are  hatched.  So  you  see  this  great 
labor,  in  which  they  have  shown  so  much  skill  is  not  for  themselves, 
but  for  their  children. 

The  leaves  and  herbs,  enclosed  in  this  great  mass  of  compact  earth, 
become  so  heated  after  a  time  that  fermentation  commences,  and  this 
heat  hatches  the  eggs.  How  does  the  Megapodius  know  this  ?  And 
how  does  it  know  what  plants  will  produce  poisonous  vapors,  so  that 
it  never  brings  these  to  its  nest  ? 

Most  birds,  you  know,  are  born  naked,  or  covered  with  a  soft  down, 
and  they  have  to  be  fed  for  several  weeks  until  their  feathers  grow, 
and  they  can  be  taught  to  fly.  But  the  young  Megapodius,  we  are 
told  by  travelers,  comes  out  of  its  shell  fully  provided  with  feathers. 
They  say  that  it  throws  off  the  hot  leaves  that  surround  it,  and  mounts 
to  the  top  of  the  mound,  looks  about  for  a  few  minutes,  flaps  its  wings, 
and  then,  at  once,  soars  up  in  the  air,  and  comes  back  to  its  nest  no 
more.  If  this  be  true,  it  knows  where  to  look  for  food,  and  how  to 
take  care  of  itself  as  soon  as  it  is  born. 

Another  Australian  bird,  the  Telegalla,  also  builds  a  large  nest, 
though,  by  no  means  equal  in  size  to  that  of  the  Megapodius.  The 
bird  is  larger,  too.  It  is  about  the  size  of  a  turkey,  and,  like  that  fowl, 
carries  itself  with  quite  an  important  air.  It  works  in  the  grassy  fields. 
It  cuts  down  grass  by  the  handful ;  or  rather,  I  should  say,  by  the  claw- 
ful.  For,  after  it  has  gathered  a  small  bunch  of  grass,  it  grasps  it  with 
one  claw,  and  hops  proudly  along  on  the  other  claw  to  the  spot  it  has 
chosen  for  its  nest. 

The  male  and  female  bird  work  for  a  long  time  in  this  way,  and 
make  a  vast  number  of  journeys  to  and  fro,  always  bearing  to  the 


LARGE  HOUSES  EOR  SMALL  TENANTS. 


57 


TELEGALLAS   MAKING  THEIR   NESTS. 


5 8  TALES  O  UT  OF  SCHO  OL. 

nest  a  little  bundle  of  grass.  They  heap  this  up,  as  haymakers  build 
up  their  haycocks.  In  fact  a  Telegalla's  nest  is  not  unlike  a  haycock, 
and  is  about  the  size  of  one. 

Having  reared  up  their  nest  as  high  as  they  think  proper,  the  female 
carefully  places  her  eggs  in  the  center ;  and  then,  with  her  mate,  takes 
her  departure.  They  do  not  trouble  their  minds  any  more  about 
either  eggs  or  nest.  They  know,  in  some  mysterious  way,  that  the 
grass  they  have  piled  up  will  dry,  when  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  that 
it  will  be  heated  by  this  process.  And  they  know  that  this  heat  will 
hatch  the  eggs ;  and  that  the  young  birds  will  be  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves  as  soon  as  they  issue  from  the  shell.  So,  why  should  they 
worry  themselves  about  the  matter  ? 

In  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Southern  Africa,  there  are  birds,  not 
larger  than  our  sparrows,  that  build  cities  to  live  in.  They  belong 
to  the  family  of  Grossbeaks,  and  these  are  called  Social  Grossbeaks, 
because  they  live  in  communities.  Hundreds  of  birds  will  unite  in 
building  an  immense  nest,  high  up  the  trunk  of  some  tree.  They 
work  away  with  twigs,  and  sticks,  and  grass,  and  feathers,  and  moss. 
And,  when  the  structure  is  completed,  it  looks  at  a  litde  distance  as  if 
men  had  built  some  great  timber  work  around  the  tree  trunk.  It  is 
in  reality  a  city,  consisting  of  rows  of  single  nests,  each  one  inhabited 
by  a  pair  of  birds. 

There  they  lay  their  eggs,  and  hatch  them,  and  raise  their  children, 
and  teach  them  how  to  fly,  and  to  get  their  living.  Hundreds  of 
families  live  thus  peaceably  together,  and  have  a  good  time  help- 
ing and  visiting  each  other.  Policemen  do  not  seem  to  be  neces- 
sary in  these  cities,  where  each  bird  behaves  just  as  well  as  he 
knows  how. 

No  doubt,  after  their  hard  work  is  done,  they  have  fine  fun  at  their 
parties,  and  merry-makings.  Whether  they  have  "  town  meetings," 
and  public  lectures,  and  parades,  I  know  not.     Private  lectures,  and 


LARGE  HOUSES  EOR  SMALL   TENANTS. 


6o  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

concerts,  I  am  sure  they  must  have !     And  the  liveUest  jigs  and  waltzes 
among  the  branches  of  the  trees  ! 

A  traveler  in  Africa  once  brought  one  of  these  nests  away  with 
him.  It  contained  340  little  nests.  So  it  had  been  inhabited  by  340 
pairs  of  birds,  and  their  families.  It  was  so  heavy  that  several  men 
w^ere  necessary  to  remove  it  from  the  tree ;  and  it  was  taken  away  in 
a  wagon. 


THE   WONDERFUL   ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS.  6i 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS. 

Once  upon  a  time — It  was  four  hundred  years  ago — the  great  Gute- 
tiindus,  of  blessed  memory,  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  go  all 
over  the  world,  and  do  good  to  ever)^body.  A  great  part  of  the  world 
as  we  know  it,  had  not  then  been  discovered,  and  there  were  not  so 
many  people  in  those  times  as  there  are  now.  But  still  it  was  some- 
thing of  an  undertaking  to  go  all  over  the  world,  and  do  good  to  every- 
body. 

Nevertheless,  Gutefundus  resolved  to  do  it. 

He  decided,  in  the  first  place,  that  he  would  kill  the  great  Sea  Ser- 
pent. This  was  a  snake  three  or  four  miles  long,  which  amused  itself 
by  winding  its  coils  around  ships,  thus  crunching  them  up,  after  which 
it  would  eat  the  crews  at  its  leisure.  If  it  were  not  very  hungry  it 
would  follow  a  ship  a  long  time,  rising  out  of  the  water  occasionally, 
and  picking  off  a  man  or  two  at  a  time,  until  it  had  made  an  end  of 
the  whole  ship's  company. 

Nobody  ever  knew  where  to  find  this  snake,  for  it  traveled  all 
over  the  ocean  with  incredible  swiftness  ;  and,  it  had  such  an  ex- 
tremely hard  and  horny  skin,  that  no  dart  or  knife  could  pierce  it.  It 
was  therefore  not  an  easy  thing  either  to  find  the  Sea  Serpent,  or  to 
kill  it. 

Nevertheless  Gutefundus  determined  to  find  it  and  kill  it. 

He  embarked  on  this  expedition  in  mid-summer,  in  the  very  best 
vessel  that  could  be  made  in  those  days,  and  with  a  crew  of  picked 
men.  Fortune  favored  him,  and  in  the  second  month  of  the  cruise, 
the  great  Sea  Serpent  was  after  the  ship  of  Gutefundus,  little  dream- 
ing that  that  very  ship  was  after  him. 

The  sailors  were  frightened  nearly  out  of  their  wits  when  they  first 
saw  the  long  line  of  this  monster's  body  rising  and  falling  on  the  waves, 


62 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


far  in  their  rear.  But  the  stout  heart  of  Gutefundus  knew  no  fear. 
He  took  in  sail,  and  waited  for  his  foe.  But  the  serpent  was  in  no 
hurr)^  He  kept  his  distance  for  a  couple  of  days,  and  then  he  sank 
into  the  water  and  disappeared.  Gutefundus  feared  the  snake  had 
escaped  him;  but,  a  few  days  afterwards,  it  unexpectedly  popped  its 
head  out  of  the  water,  close  to  the  ship's  sides,  and,  in  an  instant, 
seized  a  sailor  in  its  enormous  jaws,  and  went  down  again  with  a 
tremendous  splash. 


IT   SEIZED   A    SAILOR    IN    ITS   JAWS. 

At  that  moment  Gutefundus  thought  that,  so  far,  he  had  done  no 
good  to  any  body,  and  had  been  the  means  of  leading  the  poor  sailor 
to  his  death. 

But  he  did  not  despair.  The  Sea  Serpent  would  come  again,  he 
felt  sure,  and  now  that  he  knew  the  enemy's  tactics,  he  made  his  pre- 
parations. The  next  time  the  Sea  Serpent  reared  his  head  over  the 
ship's  side  Gutefundus  was  ready  for  it.  Barrels  filled  with  water 
were  arranged  all  along  the  sides  of  the  deck,    and  the  moment  the 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS.  63 

great  head  was  level  with  the  deck,  Gutefundus  was  in  front  of  it ; 
and,  in  a  twinkling,  he  rolled  a  barrel  into  the  gaping  mouth  of  the 
creature.  The  astonished  snake  gulped  down  this  unusual  morsel 
with  some  difficulty;  and  Gutefundus  took  advantage  of  this  inter- 
val of  choking  to  plunge  his  long  spear  into  one  of  the  eyes  of  the 
monster.  It  sank  heavily  into  the  water ;  and,  for  several  days,  the 
ship  sailed  over  a  sea  reddened  with  its  blood. 

And  that  was  the  last  of  the  great  Sea  Serpent.  It  is  a  pity  that 
the  Serpent's  body  never  rose  to  the  surface,  so  that  our  hero  might 
have  had  its  skin. 

The  next  expedition  of  Gutefundus  was  to  the  Orkney  Islands. 
Wonderful  trees  grew  in  the  marshes  of  those  distant  isles.  They 
bore  eggs  for  fruit !  At  the  proper  season  these  egg-like  fruits  opened, 
and  out  dropped  little  ducks  into  the  water,  where  they  immediately 
began  to  swim  about.     These  trees  were  called  Bird  Trees. 

It  was  rather  a  singular  thing  that,  although  the  learned  men  wrote 
full  accounts  of  these  trees,  and  all  the  common  people  talked  about 
them,  nobody  had  ever  seen  one  of  them. 

Now,  in  Gutefundus'  country  it  sometimes  happened  that  the  poor 
people  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  there  would  be  a  famine.  He  wisely 
thought  that  if  he  could  get  some  roots  and  slips  of  this  Duck  Tree, 
and  plant  them  along  all  the  water  courses,  in  a  few  years  there  would 
be  ducks  enough  for  the  very  poorest  family. 

It  was  considered  a  very  dangerous  thing  to  take  a  voyage  to  these 
savage  islands,  but  Gutefundus  decided  he  would  do  it. 

And  he  did  it.  He  met  with  some  fearful  adventures  on  the  way, 
but,  after  many  weary  months,  he  arrived  at  the  Orkneys.  And  there, 
sure  enough,  right  before  his  eyes,  was  the  wonderful  Bird  Tree !  Its 
long  trunk  stretched  far  out  over  the  water.  Its  branches  were  load- 
ed with  fruit.  Some  of  this  fruit  was  as  close  shut  as  an  &gg\  but 
some  of  it  was  splitting  open,  and  the  little  ducks  coming  out.     Some 


6.4 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


of  the  ducks  were  just  ready  to  drop  into  the  water,  and  others  had 
only  a  small  piece  of  bill  stuck  out  of  the  ^gg.  Hundreds  had  already 
fallen,  and  were  swimming  gaily  about. 


THE   BIRD   TREE. 


The  delighted  Gutefundus  plucked  some  of  the  fruit  that  had  not 
yet  opened,  and  stored  it  away  to  take  home  to  show  to  his  country- 
men. His  next  proceeding  was  to  take  measures  for  introducing  the 
culture  of  bird-trees  into  his  country.  He  concluded  he  would  cut 
off  some  of  the  smaller  branches,  and  some  little  twigs,  and  would  put 
some  of  their  native  soil  in  tubs  on  the  ship,  and  in  these  he  would 
root  his  slips.  From  these  few  slips  bird-trees  could  be  spread  over 
the  country  in  a  few  years. 

The  task  of  choosing  and  cutting  these  slips  he  took  upon  himself, 
and  climbed  the  tree  for  that  purpose.  But,  no  sooner  had  he  cut  the 
first  little  twig  than  he  felt  a  great  shudder  running  all  through  the 


THE   WONDERFUL  ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS.  65 

tree.  It  shook  from  top  to  bottom.  The  roots  tore  themselves  loose 
from  the  soil  with  such  a  wrench  that  the  whole  tree  fell  violently  for- 
ward into  the  water,  and  sank  beneath  the  waves  as  if  it  were  made  of 
iron.  The  ducks  that  were  swimming  around  went  down  with  it,  and 
were  seen  no  more.  Gutefundus,  entangled  in  the  branches,  would 
inevitably  have  gone  down  also  with  the  tree,  had  he  not  caught  fast 
hold  of  some  sedges  on  the  shore,  and,  by  a  great  effort,  got  his  feet 
free  from  the  branches. 

He,  and  the  ship's  company  knew  then  that  this  was  a  magic  tree. 
The  gathered  fruit  they  had,  was  therefore  accursed,  and  they  imme- 
diately threw  it  all  overboard.  On  touching  the  water  it  burst  with  a 
great  explosion.  They  then  sailed  away  from  the  spot  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

From  that  day  to  this  there  has  never  been  another  bird  tree  found 
anywhere.  And  the  poor  people  of  Gutefundus'  country  lived  and 
died  without  ever  tasting  tree-ducks. 

His  next  expedition  was  the  greatest  of  all  the  undertakings  of  Gu- 
tefundus. Immense  stores  of  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones  lay  bu- 
ried in  the  rocks  of  certain  caverns  in  the  mountains.  But  men  could 
not  go  there  to  dig  out  the  treasures,  because  the  entrance  to  these 
caverns  was  guarded  by  a  terrible  dragon.  A  few  daring  individuals 
had  ventured  near  this  entrance,  and,  peeping  in,  had  seen  heaps  of 
bones.  These,  no  doubt,  were  all  that  was  left  of  men,  who,  in  some 
previous  time  had  attempted  to  get  the  treasures.  They  even  got  a 
sight  of  the  dragon,  and  represented  it  as  a  gigantic  creature,  partly 
beast,  partly  bird,  and  partly  serpent. 

These  venturesome  men  were  thankful  to  have  escaped  from  the 
neighborhood  without  going  any  nearer  the  cave;  and,  from  that  time, 
no  one  had  ever  been  within  miles  of  it.  But  Gutefundus  resolved 
that  these  treasures  should  no  longer  lie  there  useless.  Mankind 
should  have  the  benefit  of  them.  Nobody  believed  he  could  conquer 
5 


66  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

this  dragon.  Nobody  would  accompany  him  on  such  a  mad  enterprise. 
It  did  seem  like  going  to  certain  death.  Nevertheless  Gutefundus 
made  up  his  mind  to  do  it. 

He  set  out  alone.  It  took  him  three  years  to  reach  the  forest  that 
surrounded  the  mountain,  of  which  he  was  in  search.  He  had  passed 
through  strange  countries,  and  had  taken  part  in  many  a  good  fight, 
but  he  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  a  day's  journey  only  from  the 
caverns,  well  and  in  good  spirits  for  the  fight  with  the  dragon. 

But  here  something  befell  him  more  wonderful  than  all  he  had  gone 
through  in  his  life. 

Night  was  approaching,  and  he  looked  about  for  a  resting-place. 
He  heard  the  tinkling  sound  of  a  little  bell,  and  bent  his  steps  in  that  di- 
rection. It  led  him  some  distance  into  the  forest  to  a  small  hut,  made 
of  dried  mud.  A  little  wooden  belfry  was  built  upon  this,  and  the 
bell  was  ringing  at  the  close  of  day.  Gutefundus,  believing  it  to  be 
the  dwelling  of  some  hermit,  entered  it  to  ask  for  a  night's  lodging. 
There  was  no  one  there,  and  he  wondered  by  what  contrivance  the 
bell  rang  itself.  While  waiting  for  the  owner  to  appear,  he  stretched 
himself  upon  a  couch  of  dried  moss  ;  and,  being  very  tired,  he  soon  fell 
asleep. 

When  he  awoke,  he  started  up,  and  looked  around  in  surprise.  He 
was  still  alone.  His  clothes  were  in  rags;  his  feet  were  bare,  for  his 
shoes  had  fallen  to  pieces  on  the  floor;  the  hut  had  crumbled  until  it 
was  only  a  shattered  mound;  the  wooden  belfry  lay  around  in  broken 
bits ;  the  little  bell  was  half  buried  in  the  dried  mud,  by  his  side,  and  was 
nearly  eaten  up  with  rust.  This  reminded  him  of  his  sword,  and  he 
looked  anxiously  for  it.  He  saw  it  directly,  on  the  earthen  floor  close 
by  him.  It  had,  evidently,  just  fallen  out  of  the  scabbard,  which,  all 
full  of  rents,  was  still  attached  to  his  rusty  belt.  The  sword  was  as 
bright  as  ever.  He  remembered  now  that  it  was  the  clattering  it  had 
made  in  falling  that  had  awakened  him.    Just  then  the  gleam  of  some- 


THE   WONDERFUL  ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS.  67 

thing  white  crossed  his  eyes.  It  was  his  beard,  grown  very  long,  and 
perfectly  grey.  He  was  conscious  then  that  his  head  felt  cold.  He 
clapped  his  hands  there,  and  found  he  was  bald! 

He  understood  the  whole  matter  now.  He  had  been  in  a  magic  sleep! 
How  many  years  he  had  slept  he  could  not  guess.  Maybe  two  or 
three  hundred  years.  Such  instances  were  not  so  very  uncommon. 
He  recalled  the  names  of  several  great  men,  who  had  slept  for  a  hun- 
dred years  and  more.  Some  of  them  were  sleeping  still.  It  was  clear 
that  the  dragon  was  a  magician,  and  had  led  him  into  the  wood  to  put 
him  into  a  magic  sleep. 

Gutefundus,  upon  this,  arrived  at  two  comfortable  reflections.  Firstly, 
that  the  dragon  was  afraid  of  him,  or  it  would  not  have  sent  this  sleep 
upon  him ;  and,  secondly,  that  it  had  no  power  over  his  trusty  sword, 
which  was  there  by  him  unharmed.  He  took  it  up,  felt  the  edge,  and 
found  it  sharp  and  keen. 

He  walked  out  of  the  wood,  and  sought  the  nearest  town.  His 
appearance  at  first  alarmed  the  people  in  the  market  place ;  but  when 
he  told  who  he  was,  and  on  what  errand  he  had  come,  and  what  had 
befallen  him,  they  received  him  with  joy.  They  had  heard  all  about 
him,  but  everybody  supposed  he  had  been  killed  by  the  dragon 
twenty  years  before. 

He  had  slept  for  twenty  years!  He  went  into  the  hut  a  man  in  the 
prime  of  life.     He  came  out  of  it  an  old,  bald-headed  man. 

But  he  was  as  courageous  as  ever.  The  dragon,  it  appeared,  was 
still  alive,  and  no  mortal  man  dared  go  near  the  treasures  he  guarded. 
No  one  would  go  with  Gutefundus  to  attack  the  fearful  beast.  He 
could  get  no  kind  of  armor  in  the  town;  and  no  suit  to  wear  except  a 
blouse,  and  a  pair  of  baggy  trowsers.  Such  was  the  costume  of  the  place. 

But  he  had  his  bright  and  trusty  sword  that  had  never  yet  failed 
him,  and  he  marched  boldly  into  the  wood  again  after  the  dragon. 

He  entered  the  cavern,  and  had  proceeded  unmolested  for  some 


68  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

distance,  when  he  heard  a  fearful  roar,  and  out  upon  him  rushed  the 
dragon.     It  stretched  its  beast's  body ;  opened  its  huge  jaws ;  ran  out 


THE  DRAGON  OF  THE  CAVERN. 


Its  hissing,  serpent  tongue;  flapped  loudly  its  bird's  wings;  and  curled 
its  snake  tail. 


THE   WONDERFUL  ADVENTURES  OF  GUTEFUNDUS.  69 


But  Gutefundus  stood  his  ground  undaunted.  He  felt  from  the 
tips  of  his  toes  to  his  bald  crown  that  that  serpent's  time  had  come. 
He  swung  his  sword  on  high.  Up  rushed  the  dragon;  down  came 
the  sword,  whack!  and  cut  the  terrible  head  into  two  parts!  The 
beast  was  stunned,  but  not  killed.  Another  stroke  severed  the  body ; 
and  the  third  cut  off  its  tail.  . 

The  dragon  was  dead,  and  the  treasures  thus  became  the  property 
of  mankind. 

Gutefundus  contented  himself  with  a  small  share  of  the  spoils,  and 
passed  the  rest  of  his  days  quietly  at  home.  He  had  been  pretty 
much  all  over  the  world;  and,  if  he  had  not  done  good  to  everybody, 
he  had  certainly  taken  some  of  the  evil  out  of  the  earth. 

I  suppose  none  of  my  readers  believe  that  these  adventures  actually 
befell  any  man  who  ever  lived  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  But  I  have 
told  you  nothing  that  was  not  held  to  be  true  at  the  time  Gutefundus 
lived;  and  at  a  much  later  period  too.  Such  wild  legends  were  fully 
credited,  and  not  by  ignorant  people  only.  The  three  pictures  I  have 
given  in  the  story  were  drawn  by  the  most  learned  men  of  that  olden 
time;  and  they  had  no  doubt  whatever  of  the  existence  of  the  Dragon, 
the  Sea  Serpent,  and  the  Bird  Tree. 


7° 


TALES    OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


SOME  BIG  GUNS. 

Ever  since  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  the  men  who  have  been 
devoting  their  attention  to  the  science  of  gunnery  for  purposes  of 
war  have  been  making  their  cannon  larger  and  larger. 


A  COLUMBIAD. 


SOME  BIG  GUNS.  71 


This  is  not  the  case  with  the  weapons  that  are  carried  by  soldiers; 
for  our  rifles  and  muskets  are  much  smaller  than  those  used  by  our 
ancestors.  A  hundred  or  two  years  ago,  the  great  flint-lock  muskets 
and  blunderbusses  were  twice  as  laro-e  as  the  rifles  now  used,  althouo-h 
they  did  not  carry  a  ball  half  the  distance,  or  with  any  thing  like  the 
accuracy  of  our  improved  arms. 

But  the  cannon  that  used  to  be  in  fashion  were  but  little  things  com- 
pared to  those  of  the  present  day. 

You  might  put  one  of  the  old-fashioned  cannon  into  one  of  our 
oreat  columbiads  and  fire  it  out  of  it  instead  of  a  ball. 

And  while  the  cannon  have  been  growing  larger  and  larger,  the  de- 
fenses against  cannon-shot  are  growing  stronger  and  stronger. 

Now  our  men-of-war  are  generally  what  are  called  "iron-clads." 
The  hull  is  covered  with  immense  plates  of  iron  or  steel,  which  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  pierce  with  the  heaviest  balls  or  conical  shot. 
And  the  forts  are  so  constructed  that  the  great  masses  of  metal  that 
are  sometimes  hurled  against  them  in  time  of  war  seem  to  have  but 
little  effect  upon  their  massive  sides.  And  so  the  competition  between 
the  weapons  of  offense  and  the  means  of  defense  goes  on.  As  the 
cannon  are  made  larger,  the  Iron  plates  on  the  ships  are  made  thicker 
and  stronger,  and  the  forts  are  built  with  walls  that  are  more  massive 
and  more  thoroughly  ball-proof. 

Which  party  will  succeed  in  this  contest  It  Is  Impossible  to  say. 

If  walls  and  ships  could  be  constructed  that  would  be  Impervious  to 
the  heaviest  cannon  balls,  warfare  would  probably  soon  come  to  an 
end,  for  if  a  nation  could  have  such  forts  and  such  ships  it  would 
be  useless  for  any  other  nation  to  make  attacks  upon  It. 

And  If  cannon  could  be  made  that  would  send  balls  through  the  sides 
>f  any  iron-clad,  or  through  the  walls  of  any  fortification,  war  would 
probably  soon  cease,  for  no  country  could  resist  a  hostile  nation  thus 
armed. 


72 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


Therefore  it  Is  almost  to  be  hoped  that  one  of  these  parties — the 
manufacturers  of  great  cannon  or  the  builders  of  ships  and  forts  will 
so  far  surpass  the  other  that  the  trials  between  them  in  time  of  war 
will  be  considered  useless. 

But  it  seems  very  doubtful  if  a  limit  to  the  size  and  force  of  cannon, 
and  the  strength  of  iron-clads  and  forts  will  soon  be  found. 


THE  GREAT  CANNON  OF  MALTA. 

Although  our  cannon  are  so  large,  we  hear  stories  of  guns  of  th? 
kind  that  were  very  large  and  yet  not  at  all  modern. 


SOME  BIG  GUNS.  73 


It  is  said  that  the  Knights  of  the  island  of  Malta  had  a  tremendous 
cannon,  which,  when  it  was  fired  off,  made  everybody,  even  old  gunners 
stop  their  ears  for  fear  that  they  would  be  deafened  by  the  terrific 
noise. 

And  the  Chinese,  who  certainly  invented  gunpowder  long  before  we 
thought  of  it,  have  a  tradition  that  their  country  once  possessed  a 
most  enormous  cannon.  It  was  constructed  of  pieces  that  were 
fastened  together  by  great  bands,  like  the  hoops  on  our  barrels  and 
casks. 

It  is  said  that  this  enormous  cannon,  the  bore  of  which  was  so  large 
that  you  might  sleep  inside  of  it  if  you  felt  sure  it  was  not  to  be  used 
before  you  came  out,  was  never  fired  but  once,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
the  locality  w^here  it  stood  (or  still  stands,  for  all  I  know,)  believe  that 
the  ball  is  flying  yet. 

It  would  certainly  be  unpleasant  if  any  of  us  happened  to  be  taking 
a  walk  through  a  pleasant  country,  to  meet  this  ball  so  suddenly  that 
there  would  be  no  time  to  turn  out  for  it. 

But  one  of  our  great  American  guns,  that  carry  a  five-hundred 
pound  ball  for  five  or  six  miles,  would  certainly  be  able  to  knock  this 
Chinese  cannon  into  a  thousand  splinters,  if  it  could  but  once  get  a  fair 
crack  at  it. 

I  wonder  what  the  ancients,  with  their  battering  rams,  and  cata- 
pults, and  javelins,  and  slings,  and  arrows,  would  have  thought,  if  an 
American  field-battery  had  opened  upon  one  of  their  bravest  armies. 

In  that  case  I  think  that  even  Achilles  would  have  thought  it  as 
necessary  to  take  the  same  care  of  his  whole  body  as  he  had  before 
taken  of  his  heel — which  you  remember  was  the  only  part  of  him  that 
was  vulnerable  to  the  weapons  of  that  day. 


74 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA. 

"  Fun,"  exclaimed  Tom  Reynolds,  "  You  couldn't  have  more  fun 
than  I  had.     No  boy  could  stand  it." 

This  was  said  to  a  boy-friend  after  Tom  had  come  home  from 
Japan. 

And  Tom  was  right.     He  had  had  a  splendid  time. 

Tom  Reynolds  was  an  American  boy,  whose  father  was  engaged  in 
business  which  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  visit  Yokohama  in  Japan. 
It  is  probable  that  he  would  not  have  thought  of  taking  Tom  with  him 
on  this  trip  if  it  had  not  been  for  Moriyama.  This  yellow  youth  put 
the  idea  into  Tom's  head,  and  Tom,  who  was  as  good  a  talker  as  he 
was  a  walker,  which  is  saying  a  great  deal,  managed  to  convince  his 
father  that  nothing  would  be  of  as  great  advantage  to  him  as  a  journey 
to  Japan. 

School  was  nothing  to  a  trip  like  this,  Tom  argued,  and  he  argued 
so  much  that  the  end  of  it  was  he  went  to  Japan. 

Moriyama  was  a  Japanese  boy,  and  a  first-rate  fellow.  He  was  one 
of  the  many  Japanese  youths  who  came  to  America  to  be  educated, 
and  he  went  to  Tom's  school. 

There  these  two  boys  became  great  friends.  Moriyama  was  a  very 
quick,  bright  youth.  He  could  speak  English  very  well,  and  he  was 
rather  better  at  English  grammar  than  most  of  the  other  fellows  in 
that  school.  The  other  fellows  explained  this  by  saying  that  Moriyama 
didn't  know  anything  about  our  grammar  except  what  he  had  learned 
from  books,  and  of  course  the  books  were  right.  But  they  had  learned 
their  grammar  from  all  sorts  of  people,  ever  since  they  were  little  bits 
of  chaps.  And  so  they  had  learned  all  sorts  of  grammar,  and  had  a 
good  deal  to  unlearn  when  they  came  to  the  school. 

But  the  fact  was  that  Moriyama  was  as  thoroughly  in  earnest  about 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA. 


75 


his  studies  as  most  boys  are  about  base-ball.     So  it  was  no  wonder 
that  he  succeeded. 

He  was  not  a  large  boy  nor  was  he  very  young.  As  Tom  put  it, 
he  was  a  good  deal  smaller  than  he  was  young.  There  were  plenty 
of  fellows  in  the  school  who  could  have  whipped  him,  if  they  had 
wanted  to,  but  they  didn't  want  to,  for  two  reasons.  He  was  a  quiet, 
obliging  boy,  who  seldom  offended  any  one,  and  if  any  one  had  tried 
to  whip  him  they  would  first  have  had  to  whip  Tom  Reynolds,  which 
was  no  easy  job.  Tom  had  a  fist  as  heavy  as  one  end  of  a  dumb- 
bell, and  the  muscles  on  his  arms  swelled  up  a  good  deal  like  the 
other  end  of  a  dumb-bell. 


FUSI-YAMA. 


Moriyama's  time  at    school  was  up,  and  he  had  to  go  to  Japan. 
Tom's  time  wasn't  up,  but  he  promised  to   study  ever  so  hard  when 


76  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

he  came  back — with  his  mind  improved  by  travel — and  so  the  three  of 
them,  Tom,  Tom's  father,  and  Moriyama,  sailed  for  Yokohama. 

This  story  will  not  be  long  enough  for  me  to  tell  anything  about 
the  journey — how  they  sailed  from  New  York  to  Aspinwall,  and  went 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  by  railroad,  and  then  took  another  steam- 
ship and  crossed  the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  and  how,  at  last  they  steamed  up 
the  bay  of  Yedo,  and  saw  towering  up  to  the  sky,  the  great  extinct 
volcano,  Fusi-yama,  the  sacred  mountain  of  Japan. 

I  cannot  even  tell  about  their  landing  at  Yokohama,  nor  even  very 
much  about  Tom's  adventures  in  Japan,  but  I  can  give  you  some  of  his 
experiences,  and  if  you  ever  meet  him,  he  can  tell  you  the  rest.  And 
he  will  be  very  apt  to  do  it,  too,  if  you  are  the  right  kind  of  a  boy  or 
girl,  for  Tom  is  a  great  talker,  and  very  sociable. 

When  they  arrived  at  Yokohama  Tom's  father  took  lodgings  for 
himself  and  his  son  at  the  house  of  an  American  merchant  in  the  town, 
but  Moriyama  went  into  the  country  where  his  family  lived. 

Of  course  it  was  very  natural  that  he  should  want  to  see  his  father 
and  mother,  and  brothers  and  sisters,  but  Tom  could  not  help  feeling 
sorry  about  it.  It  would  have  been  such  a  capital  thing  to  have  had 
Moriyama  to  take  him  around  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  visit,  and 
tell  him  about  all  the  curious  things  he  saw. 

But  Tom  had  to  do  his  sight-seeing  pretty  much  by  himself,  at  first, 
for  his  father  was  very  busy,  and  the  Americans  that  he  met  did  not 
have  much  time  to  go  about  with  a.  boy. 

But  Tom  was  not  a  bad  fellow  to  take  care  of  himself,  and  as  his 
father  engaged  for  him  a  horse  and  a  betto,  as  a  man  who  attends 
horses  in  Japan  is  called,  he  had  every  opportunity  of  going  about 
as  much  as  he  wanted  to. 

When  Tom's  horse  was  brought  out  for  him  the  first  time  there 
were  two  bettos  in  attendance.  One  of  them  had  clothes  enough  on, 
but  the  other  one  looked  as  if  he  were  just  ready  to  take  a  swim. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORI  YAM  A 


JAPANESE    BETTOS. 


78  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL, 

This  fellow  was  the  one  who  accompanied  Tom  wherever  he  went. 
Jle  was  a  good-natured  man  and  very  ready  to  talk,  and  if  Tom  could 
have  understood  a  word  he  said,  he  might  have  been  very  interesting. 

But  they  got  along  capitally  together,  and  Tom  rode  about  Yoko- 
hama all  day,  and  came  home  at  night,  and  asked  questions  of  his 
father.  In  this  way  he  got  some  information  about  the  things  he  had 
seen,  but  in  many  cases  he  had  to  make  up  theories  of  his  own  about 
things.     And  some  very  curious  theories  he  made. 

There  was  a  porter  who  had  a  lodge  at  the  door  of  the  house 
where  they  lived,  and  he  used  to  strike  on  a  gong  every  time  any  one 
entered.  Sometimes  he  struck  once,  and  sometimes  two  or  three 
times,  and  Tom  could  not  imagine  what  he  did  it  for.  He  might  have 
asked  his  father  about  this,  but  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would 
find  it  out  for  himself. 

You  must  not  suppose  that  Tom's  father  was  not  a  good-natured 
man,  or  that  he  objected  to  giving  information  to  his  son.  But  the 
truth  was  that  Mr.  Reynolds  was  not  only  very  busy  all  day,  and  very 
often  at  night,  with  his  merchant  friends,  but  he  did  not  know  a  great 
deal  about  Japanese  life  himself. 

As  soon  as  he  had  got  through  with  the  most  pressing  part  of  his 
business,  he  intended  to  go  about  and  see  Japan.  He  had  never  been 
there  before. 

At  first  Tom  thought  that  when  he  heard  one  crack  on  the  gong 
it  meant  that  that  was  the  first  time  he  had  come  in.  But  when  he 
heard  only  one  stroke  the  second  and  the  third  time,  while  some  other 
people  got  two  taps  the  first  time  they  came,  he  knew  that  this  must 
be  a  mistake. 

Before  he  found  out  what  these  taps  really  meant  Moriyama  re- 
turned to  town.  Tom  greeted  him  heartily  enough,  and  as  they  went 
into  the  house  together  that  morning  the  porter  struck,  first  two  taps, 
then  one. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA.  79 

"  What  is  that  banging  for  ?"  cried  Tom.  "  I've  been  trying  to  find 
out  ever  so  long,  but  it's  too  much  for  me." 

"  Why  two  taps  are  for  me  and  one  is  for  you,"  said  Moriyama. 

"  How's  that  ?" 

"  He  taps  once  for  a  citizen  or  a  merchant,"  said  Moriyama,  "and 
twice  for  an  officer  or  an  interpreter — I  didn't  tell  you  I  had  been  ap- 
pointed an  interpreter  since  I  returned — and  for  a  governor  or  a  con- 
sul he'd  strike  three  times,  and  four  times  for  an  admiral  or  higher 
officer." 

"  Once  for  me  and  twice  for  you,"  said  Tom.  "  What  a  fool  the 
man  must  be  !" 

"He  does  what  he  has  to  do,  according  to  our  laws,"  said  Moriyama. 

"  But  anybody  ought  to  know  better  than  that,"  cried  Tom. 
"  Look  here !  I'm  going  to  talk  to  him  and  then  you  can  interpret 
what  I  say,  Mr.  Two-taps." 

So  Tom  stepped  up  to  the  porter  and  remarked : 

"  I  say  old  shaven  head how  many  bangs  would  he  give  for  the 

Prince  of  Wales,  Moriyama  ?" 

"  Four,  I  think." 

"Well  then,  old  fellow,  princes  belong  to  the  set  that  they  take 
kings  from,  and  I  belong  to  the  set  that  they  take  presidents  from, 
and  so  we're  even,  and  I  want  you  to  pound  four  times  every  time  I 
come  in  the  house.  Do  you  hear  that  ?  Tell  him  it,  upside  down, 
Moriyama." 

Moriyama,  who  was  laughing  at  this  speech,  said  something  to  the 
porter  in  Japanese,  but  I  do  not  think  that  he  translated  Tom's  words. 

But  Tom  never  got  but  one  bang  when  he  came  in,  though  he  used 
to  shake  his  fist  at  the  porter  every  time  he  heard  it. 

Moriyama  was  very  anxious  that  Tom  should  visit  Yedo  with  him. 
and  so  after  a  few  days  spent  in  further  sight-seeing  in  Yokohama, 
the  two  friends  set  off  for  the  metropolis  of  Japan. 


So 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


ENTRANCE  TO  A  JAPANESE  TAVERN. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA.  8i 

They  traveled  on  horseback  accompanied  by  their  bettos  and  other 
servants.  They  rode  along  the  Tokaido,  or  great  highway  of  Japan, 
and  they  were  by  no  means  the  only  travelers,  for  the  road  was 
crowded  with  foot  passengers,  men  on  horseback,  and  people  in  pal- 
anquins. The  whole  road  was  one  lively  scene,  and  to  Tom  it  was  a 
very  interesting  one.  And  the  best  of  it  was,  that  there  was  nothing, 
no  matter  how  curious  or  outlandish,  that  Moriyama  could  not  explain 
to  him. 

They  stopped  on  the  way  at  a  tavern,  which  was  rather  different 
from  anything  of  the  kind  that  Tom  had  ever  imagined. 

When  they  reached  the  door  they  found  a  group  of  three  or  four 
persons  examining  the  goods  of  a  man  who  seemed  to  be  a  peddler. 
He  was  very  anxious  that  his  goods — and  he  did  not  seem  to  have 
many  of  them — should  be  appreciated,  and  the  bystanders  were  quietly 
and  earnestly  listening  to  what  he  had  to  say. 

But  no  one  took  notice  of  the  newly  arrived  party. 

After  a  little  while,  the  landlord  made  his  appearance,  and  though 
he  seemed  glad  to  see  them,  and  brought  them  a  few  eggs  and  some 
other  trifling  refreshments,  he  soon  went  away  again,  and  they 
saw  no  more  of  him  until  several  hours  later  when  they  took  their 
leave. 

But  their  own  servants  cooked  them  a  good  dinner  of  things  they 
had  with  them,  and  seemed  to  make  themselves  perfectly  at  home  in 
the  household  of  the  tavern. 

Tom  said  it  was  a  good  deal  like  working  your  passage  on  a  ship, 
but  Moriyama  could  see  no  objection  to  it.  He  was  sure,  he  said, 
that  he  would  rather  be  waited  on  by  his  own  servants  than  by  any 
one  likely  to  be  found  at  a  roadside  tavern,  and  he  was  sure  their  own 
provisions  were  better  than  anything  likely  to  be  found  there. 

This  was  all  true  enough,  but  Tom  could  not  help  thinking  what  a 
row  would  be  kicked  up  in  an  American  tavern,  no  matter  how  small 
6 


82 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


and  mean  it  might  be,  if  the  guests  brought  their  own  provisions,  and 
cooked  them  in  the  tavern  kitchen. 

They  stopped  at  other  places,  at  one  tea-house  in  particular,  where 
there  were  plenty  of  waiters,  plenty  of  guests,  and  a  very  great  plenty 
of  tea. 

They  were  two  days  on  the  road,  although  the  distance  was  only 
about  thirty  miles. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  one  half  that  these  two  boys  did  and  saw  in 
Yedo. 

They  saw  all  sorts  of  shops,  with  curious  signs,  tea-houses  thronged 
with  customers ;  people  at  work  at  various  trades — in  workshops  that 
were  entirely  exposed  to  the  view  of  passers-by,  and  almost  everything 
arranged  in  a  different  way  from  what  Tom  thought  was  right  and 
proper. 


JAPANESE  BLACKSMITHS. 

Here  were  a  couple  of  blacksmiths  with  scarcely  a  stitch  of  clothes 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA. 


83 


on,  sitting  down  to  their  work,  and  one  of  them  blowing  the  bellows 

with  his  heel. 

Then  they  came   upon  a  troupe  of  boy-jugglers  directed  by  a  man 


LITTLE  JUGGLERS    IN  STREETS  OF  YEDO. 

who  sang  horribly  sounding  words  in  a  rasping  voice,  while  he  played 
upon  a  tambourine  with  two  dnim-sticks. 


84 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


The  boys'  heads  were  stuck  into  bags  surmounted  by  hideous 
masks,  and  as  they  twisted  themselves  into  all  sorts  of  distorted  posi- 
tions, one  of  them  stand- 
ing on  his  hands  on  the 
stomach  of  another,  who 
leaned  backwards  until 
his  hands  touched  the 
ground,  Tom  thought 
they  would  certainly  dis- 
locate their  spines. 

He  had  turned  many 
a  handspring,  and  was 
quite  expert  on  the  hori- 
zontal bar  at  the  g}^mna- 
sium,  but  he  never  saw 
such  body-twisting  as 
this. 

H  e  would  have  watched 
these  boys  as  long  as 
they  chose  to  perform, 
if  Moriyama  had  not 
forced  him  away  to  look 
at  other  things. 

They  visited  the  pa- 
rade ground,  where  they 
saw  the  soldiers  drill- 
ing and  practising  with 
swords  and  muskets. 
The  Japanese  soldiers 
now  use  firearms,  but 
they  still  carry  one  or 


JAPANESE    SOLDIER. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND   MORIYAMA. 


85 


two  of  their  old-fashioned  swords,  and  when  they  are  in  full  cos- 
tume they  wear  paper  hats.  Some  of  the  fencing  was  very  interest- 
ing to  Tom.  He  had  fenced  a  little  at  home,  himself,  but  this  vigor- 
ous work  with  swords  was  new  to  him. 

The  weather  was  quite  warm  during  Tom's  visit  to  Yedo,  and  about 
the  middle  of  the  day  the  streets — especially  the  canals  which  take  the 
place  of  streets,  presented  a  very  peculiar  scene.  Scarcely  a  soul  was 
visible.     Empty  boats  were  fastened  all  along  the  shores,  and  all  the 


NOON  SCENE  ON  A  JAWINESE  CANAL. 

houses,  glistening  in  the  hot  sun,  seemed  as  if  they  had  been  deserted. 


86  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  ;  and  it  was  but  very  seldom  that  a  mov- 
ing thing  was  to  be  seen. 

It  was  very  much,  as  Tom  said,  like  the  enchanted  city  in  the 
Arabian  Nights,  where  all  the  inhabitants  were  changed  into  stone. 

"  But  if  you  were  to  go  poking  about  into  some  of  those  houses," 
said  Moriyama,  "  you'd  soon  find  that  these  people  are  not  changed 
into  stone." 

Here  and  there  the  boys  could  see,  between  the  screens  that  stood 
at  the  entrances  of  the  houses,  the  people  inside  eating  their  dinners. 
The  straw  table-cloth — if  there  can  be  such  a  thing  where  there  is  no 
table — was  always  spread  upon  the  floor,  and  the  family  sat  around  it 
eating  rice.  Sometimes  they  had  meat  or  fish  and  vegetables,  but 
Moriyama  said  their  principal  food  was  rice.  And  from  the  way  they 
were  eating  it,  they  seemed  to  like  it. 

One  night  the  boys  went  out  on  one  of  the  many  bridges  in  the  city, 
and  saw  hundreds  of  small  boats  cruising  about  in  all  directions,  with 
different  colored  lanterns  hung  about  them  ;  and  besides  these  there 
were  rafts  from  which  fireworks  were  continually  set  off  The  scene 
was  charming,  and  Tom  would  have  enjoyed  it  thoroughly  had  it  not 
been  for  the  music.  This  was  so  unearthly  and  hideous  that  poor 
Tom  would  have  put  his  fingers  in  his  ears  had  he  not  been  afraid  of 
offending  the  people  around  him. 

But  before  he  left  Japan  he  became  used  to  this  music,  and  some- 
times even  fancied  that  he  could  make  out  some  kind  of  a  tune  from 
the  curious  sounds  of  the  samsins  and  the  gottos,  which  are  Japanese 
guitars  and  harps. 

One  day  the  boys  saw  a  very  jolly  sort  of  a  game  which  Tom  de- 
termifred  to  introduce  in  his  school  when  he  returned  to  the  United 
States. 

A  long  cable  was  stretched  over  one  of  the  bridges,  and  two  parties 
were  formed,  with  about  a  hundred  men  in  each. 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORI  YAM  A.  87 

One  of  these  parties  went  to  one  end  of  the  bridge  and  the  other  to 
the  opposite  end,  and  then  the  men  seized  the  rope,  and  each  party 
endeavored  to  pull  the  other  over  the  bridge. 

They  pulled  and  tugged  and  yelled,  until  one  side,  finding  that  it 
was  losing  ground,  suddenly,  at  a  signal,  let  go  the  rope  and  over 
backwards  went  every  man  on  the  other  side,  pell-mell  in  one  great 
kicking  heap.  Sometimes,  Moriyama  said,  the  rope  broke  and  then 
everybody  went  over  backward. 

When  the  game  was  finished,  they  all  went  off  laughing  to  some 
of  the  nearest  tea-houses,  and  had  a  jolly  time  together,  friends  and 
enemies,  all  in  the  same  crowd. 

Among  the  most  interesting  places  visited  was  a  Japanese  school. 
This  was  the  rarest  school  that  Tom  ever  saw.  The  little  shaven- 
headed  boys  and  girls  were  aH  seated  on  the  floor,  and  the  master  sat 
on  the  floor  too.  In  front  of  him  was  an  affair  like  a  stunted  music- 
stand,  on  which  he  put  his  book,  and  the  old  tyrant  leaned  forward 
and  cracked  the  bad  boys  with  his  fan.  Think  of  an  American  teacher 
whipping  his  scholars  with  a  fan. 

Some  of  the  youngsters  were  bare-footed,  and  some  wore  stockings 
made  something  like  mittens,  with  a  separate  place  for  the  big  toe. 
The  books  were  full  of  such  a  curious  mixture  of  what  seemed  to  Tom 
like  black  blots  and  scratches  that  he  thought  the  Japanese  youngsters 
must  be  extraordinarily  smart  to  be  able  to  make  any  sense  out  of 
them. 

When  Tom  heard  that  these  characters  were  read  from  top  to  bot- 
tom of  the  page  instead  of  across  he  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
Japanese  probably  added  up  their  letters  as  they  stood  in  the  columns 
so  as  to  find  out  what  the  whole  thing  came  to. 

The  more  he  learned  about  the  language  of  Japan,  its  different 
dialects,  and  its  two  alphabets,  the  greater  became  his  respect  for 
those  who  obtained  a  Japanese  education. 


88 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


"  It  must  take  you  all  your  lives  to  learn  how  to  read  and  write," 
said  he  to  Moriyama. 

"We  believe,"  said  the  Japanese  boy,  "that  it  takes  all  of  a  person's 
life  to  learn  anything." 


A   JAPANESE  SCHOOL. 

That  this  was  a  common  opinion  in  Japan  Tom  soon  found  out  for 
himself.     Whatever  the  trade  or  profession  in  which  a  man  was  en- 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA. 


8q 


craged,  he  seemed  to  have  been  at  it  all  his  Hfe,  and  ten  to  one  his 
■ather  and  his  great-grandfather  before  him  had  followed  the  same 
business,  and  each  one  of  the  family  had  given  so  much  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  that  he  became  almost  perfect  in  it — as  far  as 
Japanese  perfection  went. 

For  instance  Tom  went  to  a  wrestling  match,  where  the  wrestlers, 
great  powerful  fellows,  all  belonged  to  a  tribe  or  guild  that  accord- 


JAPANESE  WRESTLERS. 

ing  to  their  account  had  existed  ever  since  the  third  year  of  the  first 
Mikado,  which  in  our  chronology  would  be  the  year  658  B.C. 


9° 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


JAPANESE  BALANCING  FEATS 


TOM  REYNOLDS  AND  MORIYAMA.  91 

At  any  rate,  they  were  men  whose  ancestors  for  hundreds  of  years 
had  been  wrestlers,  and  they  themselves  gave  up  all  their  time  and 
thought  to  the  attainment  of  perfection  in  their  art. 

Consequently  they  were  splendid  wrestlers. 

Other  gymnastic  performers  were  equally  proficient  in  different 
lines.  Some  of  them  had  great  long  noses  fitted  to  their  faces,  and 
on  these  noses  they  balanced  themselves  and  each  other,  and  did  many 
Dther  astonishing  feats. 

One  man  laid  on  his  back  supporting  on  one  foot  a  fellow  who  stood 
on  his  nose,  while,  on  the  prostrate  man's  nose,  another  man  stood, 
balancing  on  his  nose  an  umbrella,  while  he  kept  five  or  six  balls  flying 
in  the  air,  catching  each  one  as  it  fell  and  tossing  it  up  again,  never 
allowing  one  of  them  to  drop. 

Each  of  these  performers,  no  matter  what  else  he  was  doing,  held 
a  fan  in  one  hand,  which  was  kept  constantly  in  motion. 

And  In  all  the  performances  there  was  never  a  mishap  or  a  mistake. 
Every  man  was  absolutely  perfect  in  his  part. 

When  Tom  went  back  to  Yokohama  he  told  his  father  that  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  was  going  to  be  absolutely  perfect  in  some 
one  thing.  If  the  Japanese  could  succeed  in  this,  he  was  sure  he 
could. 

He  had  not  made  up  his  mind  what  he  would  do,  but  it  was  to  be 
something. 

His  father  commended  this  resolution,  and  suggested  arithmetic. 

Tom  did  not  feel  altogether  certain  about  arithmetic,  but  as  soon  as 
he  could  think  of  a  good  thing,  he  intended  to  commence  the  study  of 
perfection. 

When  his  father  laughed  a  little  at  his  enthusiasm  Tom  said  that 
one  great  difficulty  would  be  that  he  was  afraid  he  could  not  find  out 
what  his  father  and  grandfather  had  been  perfect  in.  If  he  could  do 
that,  it  would  help  him  very  much. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


But  we  cannot  mention  all  the  curious  things  that  Tom  and  Mori- 
yama  saw  in  Japan. 

It  would  require  a  book  to  tell  about  the  wonderful  processions, 
such  as  that  of  the  white  elephant,  which,  by  the  way,  Tom  thought 
was  a  real  animal,  until  he  saw  that  its  legs  did  not  move,  and  that 
under  each  of  its  feet  were  two  human  legs  belonging  to  the  men  who 
carried  the  huge  stuffed  creature — and  the  many  other  strange  things 
that  they  saw  in  the  streets  and  houses  of  Japan. 


PROCESSION   OF    THE  WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Suffice  It  to  say,  that  since  Tom  came  home — and  it  has  been  some 
years  since  his  trip  to  Japan — he  has  earnestly  endeavored  to  dis- 
cover what  particular  thing  It  would  be  best  for  him  to  learn  thoroughly 
and  completely, 

I  am  not  sure  that  he  has  even  yet  made  up  his  mind  upon  the 
subject,  but  he  Is  convinced  that  if  his  experience  among  the  Japanese 
had  no  better  effect  than  to  teach  him  that  to  know  how  to  do  some- 
thing perfectly  well,  it  is  gready  to  be  desired,  and  well  worth  striving 
for — no  matter  how  much  time  and  toil  It  may  require. 


LUMINOUS  INSECTS. 


93 


LUMINOUS  INSECTS. 


HUT  LIGHTED  BY  BEETLES. 


The  fire-flies  that  flit  about  so  merrily  on  our  pleasant  summer 
evenings,  emit  little  sparkles  of  light,  that  seem  like  tiny  stars,  shining 
among  the  grass  and  trees.  Sometimes  the  air  is  full  of  these  twink- 
ling lights,  which  are  very  pretty,  though  not  sufficiently  brilliant  to 
help  us  to  find  our  way  on  a  dark  night,  or  to  bring  into  our  houses 
to  save  the  expense  of  candles  or  kerosene. 

Occasionally  we  see,  at  night,  in  the  grass  by  the  roadside,  or  in  a 
field,  a  very  small  trail  of  a  bright-green  light ;  and,  on  stooping  down 
to  examine  into  this  singular  appearance,  we  find  on  the  ground  an 


54 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


insignificant  little  ugly  worm,  to  which  Nature  has  given  the  power  of 
producing  a  lovely  colored  light.  These  glow-worms  are  somewhat 
rare  in  this  country,  but  are  common  in  England,  where  our  fire-fly  is 
unknown.  The  glow-worms  of  tropical  countries  are  as  large  as  good- 
sized  caterpillars,  and  give  out  a  light  of  corresponding  size. 

Some  of  the  beetles  of  tropical  countries  are  much  more  radiant 
than  the  glow-worms.  They  have  a  bright  ring  around  their  bodies, 
which  sheds  such  a  light  that  it  is  said  that  the  negroes  use  them  for 
lamps.  These  negroes  we  are  told  by  travelers  make  small  round 
cages  of  thin  wooden  slats  placed  near  each  other,  and  closed  at  the 
top  and  bottom.  In  these  they  put  several  beetles,  and  thus  light  up 
their  rooms  free  of  cost. 


THE  GREAT    LANTERN  FLV. 


But  the  most  splendidly  illuminated  insect  in  the  world  is  the  great 
lantern  fly.     Its  monstrous  head  is  a  blaze  of  light.     When  it  flies 


LUMINOUS  INSECTS.  95 

through  the  air  it  is  like  a  streamer  of  fire.  When  it  alights  upon  a 
leaf,  with  its  beautiful  wings  outstretched,  and  its  head  gleaming  with 
star-like  rays,  that  light  up  everything  for  some  little  distance,  it  is  a 
gorgeous  sight  indeed. 

But,  although  this  insect  is  so  bright-headed  it  is  not  so  wise  as 
some  others  whose  heads  are  not  brilliant  at  all.  Perhaps  this  head  is 
like  some  shops  we  have  seen,  where  pretty  much  all  the  furniture  is 
on  the  outside. 


g6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


OWLS  ON  A  FROLIC. 


THE  OWLS  UPSETTING   THE  LAMP. 


OIVZS  ON  A  FROLIC.  97 


The  owls  are  abroad  on  a  mad  carouse, 

Waking  the  echoes  far  and  wide  ; 
They  whirl  in  a  crowd  through  the  ruined  church, 

Or  up  to  the  belfry  glide. 

The  little  screech-owl  makes  a  horrid  din ; 

While  the  great  white  owl  looks  wise ; 
And  the  horned  owl  nods  his  head,  and  blinks ; 

As  around  the  lamp  he  flies. 

The  lamp  is  a  cup,  half  filled  with  oil, 

That  swino^s  from  a  broken  beam ; 
And,  over  the  traveler  sleeping  below, 

It  throws  but  a  dusky  gleam. 

The  owls  have  no  fear  of  the  burning  wick— 

'Tis  only  a  cotton  loop — 
They're  after  the  oil  in  the  swinging  cup. 

And  down  on  its  brim  they  swoop. 

The  weary  traveler,  sound  asleep. 
Hears  naught  of  the  noise  o'erhead, 

A  rickety  chair  as  a  bedstead  serves, 
His  overcoat  is  his  bed. 

With  the  sweep  of  the  wings  the  lamp  upsets. 

While  the  gurgling  oil  o'erflows 
With  a  drip,  and  a  rush,  on  the  great  owl's  tail, 

A  splash  on  the  traveler's  nose. 

He's  up  in  a  trice,  and,  seizing  a  broom, 

He  arms  himself  for  a  fight. 
But  all  is  still  in  the  ruined  church ; 

For  the  owls  are  out — and  his  light. 


98 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


COMMON  AND  UNCOMMON  SPONGES. 

They  are  all  wonderful  enough,  no  matter  how  common  they  may 
be.  It  takes  thousands  and  thousands  of  minute  creatures,  to  make 
a  sponge,  and  these  creatures  are  so  little  understood  that  about  all 
we  know  of  them  is  that  they  must  belong  to  the  very  lowest  order  of 


A  FINE  SPONGE. 


COMMON  AND  UNCOMMON  SPONGES.  99 

animal  life,  and  that  they  do  build  sponges.  That  is  not  much  to  know, 
but  it  is  not  long  since  the  sponge  was  first  known  to  be  an  animal 
production  at  all,  and  our  scientific  men  may  yet  find  out  something 
more  definite  about  these  curious  little  architects.  Perhaps  they  may 
have  lately  found  out  something,  and  I  have  not  heard  of  it.  This 
would  be  the  least  wonderful  thing  about  sponges. 

The  ordinary  form  of  the  sponge  is  familiar  to  nearly  everybody 
who  has  ever  been  washed,  and  this  picture  gives  a  good  idea  of  a 
fine  large  one,  as  it  is  found  growing  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  I  say 
growing,  because  it  seems  to  be  growing  there,  like  a  vegetable.  But 
it  does  not  grow,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word,  any  more  than  a 
wasp's  nest  grows. 

But  there  are  sponges  with  which  we  are  not  at  all  familiar,  and 
which  are  curious,  apart  from  the  manner  of  their  construction.  Such 
a  one  is  the  sponge  called  the  "  Cup  of  Neptune." 

This  is  several  feet  high,  and  is  formed  like  a  great  goblet.  It  would 
make  a  very  good  cup  for  Neptune,  if  he  drank  brandy  or  rum,  for  it 
would  soak  up  all  that  he  poured  into  it,  and  he  could  not  get  a  drop, 
unless  he  squeezed  his  cup  pretty  hard — and  even  then  the  liquor 
might  all  run  out  of  the  bottom. 

As  a  rule,  civilized  and  well  educated  people  are  more  easily  sur- 
prised and  astonished  at  uncommon  and  wonderful  works  of  nature 
than  uncivilized  or  ignorant  people,  for  the  latter  do  not  know  enough 
to  be  astonished.  They  see  nothing  strange  in  the  development  of 
a  plant  from  its  seed — nothing  grand  in  a  high  mountain,  nor  any- 
thing very  beautiful  in  a  flower.  They  look  at  these  things  as  a  child 
looks  at  his  hand.  The  hand  is  a  very  curiously  constructed  instru- 
ment, full  of  intricate  mechanism,  but  the  child  does  not  know  or  think 
of  that.  It  is  not  until  he  grows  older  and  his  mind  is  cultured  that  he 
appreciates  the  wonderful  construction  and  the  varied  action  of  his 
hand. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


So  it  is  with  savages.  They  do  not  comprehend  that  many  strange 
works  of  nature  are  worthy  of  admiration,  and  they  take  it  for  granted 
that  things  are  as  they  are  because  they  ought  to  be,  just  as  they 
think  of  their  own  bodies,  if  they  think  of  them  at  all. 


THE  CUP  OF  NEPTUNE. 


But  this  great  goblet-like  sponge  is  strange  enough  to  astonish 
even  a  savage. 


MA  GUAR'S  LEAF. 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP. 

It  chanced  upon  a  time,  a  very  great  many  years  ago,  while  fairies 
and  magicians  still  dwelt  upon  earth,  that  a  youth  and  maiden — brother 
and  sister — were  walkino-  in  a  forest,  talkingr  about  their  recent  mis- 
fortunes,  and  laying  plans  for  their  future.  The  youth  was  clad  in  armor, 
according^  to  the  warlike  fashion  of  those  times.  But  he  had  under 
his  arm  a  book,  which  was  not  in  accordance  with  the  fashion  of  those 
times.  The  maiden  wore  a  dress  of  some  coarse  woolen  stuff;  and,  in 
her  hands  she  held  a  sheet  of  parchment,  and  a  pen. 

Suddenly  there  broke  into  their  quiet  talk  the  sound  of  clashing 
arms,  and  the  mad  plunging  of  horses.  Sybil,  the  maiden,  stopped  ter- 
rified. 

"  Oh  !"  she  cried,  "  it  is  the  noise  of  battle  !  Too  well  I  know  those 
sounds.     Let  us  go  quickly  back  !" 

"  Let  us  go  forward  a  little  way,"  said  Maghar,  the  youth,  "  to  yon 
opening  in  the  woods.  Or,  stop  here,  if  you  fear,  and  I  will  go  alone 
and  look  out." 

"  No,"  said  Sybil,  "  if  you  go  I  will  follow." 

Together  they  looked  out  upon  the  open  plain.  Two  hostile  armies 
had  met  unexpectedly,  and  a  fierce  conflict  had  commenced. 

"  Alas  !"  said  Sybil,  shuddering.  "  There  are  the  savage  infidels  that 
laid  waste  our  home  !" 

"Yes,"  said  Maghar,  excitedly,  "and  here,  on  this  side,  are  our 
countrymen,  and  neighbors  !     I  must  bear  a  hand  in  this  fight !" 

"  And  leave  me  alone  !"  cried  Sybil.  "  I  have  only  you  left !  Your 
single  arm  will  not  count  for  much  in  a  battle !" 

"  It  would  be  a  shame  to  me,"  said  Maghar,  "  to  sneak  off,  like  a 
coward,  and  leave  our  friends  and  Christian  soldiers,  when  their  forces 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


are  *ew,  and  every  warrior  counts.  Have  I  not  my  armor  ?  I  shall 
find  shield  and  spear  on  the  battle-field  on  some  poor  fellow  who  has 
already  fallen  in  the  fray.  Do  not  fear,  sister !  Go  back  to  Christ- 
ern's  cottage.  There  you  will  be  safe ;  and  I  will  return  in  a  few 
hours.' 

So  saying,  he  led  Sybil  back  into  the  forest  to  the  path  leading  to 
Christern's  cottage  ;  gave  the  book  into  her  hands ;  and,  kissing  her 
good-bye,  he  ran  out  of  the  woods  as  fast  as  the  weight  of  his  arm^or 
would  allow. 


sybil's  watch. 


But  Sybil  did  not  return  to  the  cottage.  She  was  too  anxious  about 
her  brother;  and,  going  to  the  entrance  of  the  wood,  she  crouched 
among  the  trees,  where  she  was  hidden  from  view,  and  watched  the 


MAGHARS  LEAP.  103 

progress  of  the  fight.  She  was  ready  to  fly  if  the  tide  of  batde 
brought  the  armies  too  near.  But  they  seemed  to  be  gradually  mov- 
ing away  from  her.  She  soon  singled  out  her  brother.  He  had 
secured  a  spear  and  shield,  and  mounted  a  riderless  horse.  In  a  few 
minutes  he  was  lost  in  the  throng,  and  she  saw  him  no  more. 

Her  mind  was  filled  with  sad  forebodings.  This  Infidel  army  had 
invaded  the  country,  and  laid  it  waste ;  had  killed  her  parents,  and 
overthrown,  and  utterly  ruined  the  beautiful  castle  that  had  been  her 
home.  A  few  things  had  been  saved  by  old  Christern,  a  much  loved 
servant  of  the  family,  and  these  constituted  the  property  of  Maghar 
and  Sybil.  Old  Christern's  cottage,  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  was 
the  refuge  of  the  orphans.  There  they  had  lived  for  several  weeks, 
and  no  way  of  retrieving  their  fortunes  seemed  open  to  them.  Maghar 
was  a  fine  scholar.  His  father  had  had  him  taught  to  read  his  own 
language  and  Latin,  and  to  write  a  very  beautiful  hand.  That  was  the 
extent  of  his  knowledge  ;  and  It  was  a  great  deal  at  a  time  when  very 
few  of  the  richest  people  knew  their  letters. 

And  now,  in  their  poverty,  there  seemed  to  be  very  little  use  for 
his  learning.  Nobody  cared  anything  about  it.  He  might  copy  man- 
uscript for  some  learned  man,  and  get  a  living  this  way,  for  printing 
and  paper  had  not  then  been  invented ;  and  all  books  were  written  on 
parchment.  But  Maghar  had  a  contempt  for  a  clerk,  as  he  called  a 
copyist,  and  did  not  fancy  this  method  of  supporting  his  sister  and 
himself.  Nevertheless,  the  two  were  that  day  on  their  way  to  the 
abode  of  a  great  and  learned  man  to  see  if  he  wished  anything  of  this 
kind  done ;  and  if  he  would  buy  their  only  book — a  Latin  volume, 
written  on  parchment,  and  beautifully  illuminated  and  bound  in 
wooden  covers. 

Sybil  went  over  these  things  in  her  mind  as  she  watched  the  battle, 
trying,  in  vain,  to  distinguish  the  form  of  her  brother.  She  soon  saw 
tX)  her  dismay,  that  the  Infidel   forces  had  turned  the  flank  of  the 


I04  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Christian  army,  and  that  the  ranks  of  the  latter  were  broken,  and  they 
were  retreating,  closely  followed  by  their  enemies.  She  stood  up 
now,  and  strained  her  eyes  to  watch  them  until  they  had  all  disap- 
peared over  the  crest  of  a  hill.  Then  she  sadly  returned  to  Christern's 
cottage  to  tell  the  old  man  of  this  new  and  terrible  misfortune. 

Days  passed  away,  and  Maghar  did  not  return.  Christern  learned 
that  the  Christian  army  was  broken,  and  the  soldiers  scattered.  Some 
had  returned  to  their  homes.  The  wounded  were  cared  for  among 
their  friends.  The  dead  were  buried.  But  Maghar  was  with  none  of 
these.  No  one  could  tell  anything  about  him,  except  that  he  had 
fought  bravely. 

Then  Sybil  determined  to  seek  out  the  great  and  learned  man  to 
whom  Maghar  had  intended  to  offer  his  services  as  copyist.  She 
was  somewhat  afraid  of  him,  for  he  was  known  to  be  a  powerful  ma- 
gician. But  he  could,  no  doubt,  tell  her  the  fate  of  Maghar,  and  she 
would  try  to  overcome  her  fears. 

She  took  off  the  coarse  peasant's  dress  she  had  been  wearing,  and 
arrayed  herself  in  her  best  robe  of  fine  white  cashmere,  which  was 
one  of  the  things  that  Christern  had  managed  to  save.  She  loosened 
her  beautiful  hair,  which  fell  nearly  to  her  feet.  This  last  she  did  to 
show  the  deep  sorrow  she  was  in.  She  also  took  with  her  the  Latin 
volume,  as  a  present,  to  propitiate  the  powerful  magician. 

The  great  man  lived  in  the  simplest  manner  in  a  rocky  cavern.  Sy- 
bil found  him  outside  his  dwelling,  seated  on  a  mossy  stone,  sorting 
some  plants  that  lay  in  his  lap.  He  did  not  look  up  as  she  approached, 
and  she  had  a  good  opportunity  to  study  his  countenance,  which  was 
so  sweet  and  gentle  that  her  fear  of  him  vanished ;  and  she  came  for- 
ward quite  boldly,  greeted  him,  and  presented  her  book. 

But  the  magician  waved  the  volume  aside.  "  I  know  why  you  seek 
me,  sister  of  Maghar,"  he  said,  kindly. 

"  Oh,  can  you  tell  me  aught  of  my  brother?"  cried  Sybil. 


MA  GUAR'S  LEAP.  105 


"  I  know  not  where  he  is.  The  oracles  would  not  enlighten  me 
without  your  presence.  Come  into  my  dwelling,  and  we  will  consult 
them." 

So  saying  he  conducted  her  into  his  cave  through  a  low,  dark  pas- 
sage way.  Great  was  Sybil's  astonishment  when  she  found  herself 
in  a  vast  room,  with  a  lofty  ceiling.  Around  the  circular  walls  was  a 
continuous  row  of  lamps,  kept  constantly  burning.  Their  light  was 
reflected  from  myriads  of  stalactites  that  hung  from  the  roof,  glowing 
with  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  making  the  rough,  rocky  chamber 
as  brilliant  and  gorgeous  as  a  fairy  palace.  In  the  centre  of  the  room 
stood  a  brazier,  filled  with  burning  coals,  and  near  it,  a  large  iron  harp, 
with  silver  strings,  and  a  sort  of  cupboard,  made  of  iron.  A  few  rough 
couches  were  scattered  around.  And  this  was  all  the  furniture  the 
room  contained. 

The  magician  invited  Sybil  to  take  a  seat.  He  then  proceeded  to 
place  on  his  head  a  crown,  woven  of  vines  of  magical  virtues.  He 
took  from  the  cupboard  some  singular-looking  vessels,  and  mixed  in 
them  various  powders  and  liquids.  Then,  pouring  all  their  contents 
into  a  copper  pot,  he  placed  it  on  the  coals,  seated  himself  on  a  stone 
near  it,  drew  his  harp  in  front  of  him,  and  motioned  to  Sybil  to  stand 
before  it.  He  looked  so  pleasantly  upon  her  she  did  not  feel  afraid, 
but  her  heart  beat  fast,  not  knowing  what  fearful  thing  she  might  see. 

She  saw  nothing  whatever  but  the  harp,  and  the  old  man ;  for,  as 
soon  as  the  clouds  of  fragrant  white  smoke  that  poured  out  from  the 
brazier,  had  completely  enveloped  the  two,  the  magician  swept  his 
fingers  over  his  harp,  and  began  to  sing.  Then  Sybil  forgot  every- 
thing else,  for  his  chant  was  of  Maghar. 

He  sang  of  the  great  deeds  Maghar  had  done  in  the  battle,  and  how 
he  had  made  himself  famous.  He  was  the  last  prisoner  taken  by  the 
Infidels ;  and  was  now  confined  in  a  castle  several  leagues  distant. 
The   Infidel   army  was   there   encamped.      They  would  like   to  slay 


\o6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


SYBIL  AND  THE   MAGICIAN. 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP.  107 


Maghar  outright,  but  were  afraid  of  the  vengeance  of  the  Christian 
armies  near  them  if  they  murdered  a  man  held  in  such  esteem.  He 
was  at  present  undisturbed,  but  the  probability  was  that,  after  a  time, 
they  would  decide  to  starve  him  to  death,  and  give  out  word  that  he 
had  died  from  sickness.  His  sister  had  thus  a  little  time  in  which  to 
work  to  save  him. 

Here  the  song  ended,  and  the  weeping  girl  begged  the  great  ma- 
gician to  save  her  brother.  This  he  said  was  not  in  his  power.  She 
must  find  a  good  fairy,  and  make  it  her  friend.  The  small  creature 
co'ild  get  into  the  castle,  see  her  brother,  and,  together,  they  could  de- 
vise a  way  of  escape.  He  might,  perhaps,  be  able  to  help  them  then. 
He  told  her  what  roads  to  follow  to  reach  the  castle ;  and,  assuring 
her  that  such  a  good  girl  would  surely  find  a  good  fairy  to  assist  her 
in  her  trouble,  he  dismissed  her  with  his  blessing. 

That  very  day  Christern  and  Sybil  set  out  for  the  castle.  They 
reached  the  place  after  three  days'  journey.  They  told  no  one  what 
their  errand  was  in  that  part  of  the  country ;  and  there  were  so  many 
homeless  people  in  the  land  that  their  appearance  excited  no  sur- 
prise. Christern  soon  found  employment  among  the  wood-cutters, 
and  fitted  up  a  deserted  hut  as  a  temporary  dwelling. 

But  though  they  could,  every  day,  look  upon  the  walls  of  the  casde 
in  which  Maghar  was  confined,  they  seemed  no  nearer  to  him  than 
before.  He  was  in  the  hands  of  the  cruel  infidels,  and  where  were 
there  any  fairies  ?  There  were  plenty  in  that  part  of  the  country,  the 
wood-cutters  said,  which,  at  first,  was  encouraging.  But,  on  inquiry, 
it  turned  out  that  not  one  of  them  had  ever  seen  a  fairy,  or  knew  any- 
body who  ever  had  seen  one.  Sybil  was  in  despair  as  the  days  went 
by,  and  she  blamed  her  friend,  the  magician,  that  he  had  given  her  no 
help,  after  all. 

She  often  walked  through  the  woods,  near  nightfall,  to  meet  Chris- 
tern.    One  evening,  as  the  two  were  returning  together  to  their  hut. 


io8 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


they  saw  a  large  wild  boar  approaching,  followed  by  several  young 
ones.  As  this  creature  is  very  savage  when  it  has  its  young  to  defend, 
Christern  and  Sybil  thought  it  wise  to  step  aside  among  the  trees,  and 
leave  the  path  to  the  boar  and  its  interesting  family.  After  these  had 
passed  they  continued  their  way,  but  had  not  gone  far  when  they  saw 
a  young  boar  lying  in  the  path.     Christern  stooped  over  to  examine  it. 


THE   BOAR    FAMILY. 


"■  It  got  in  with  that  litter,"  said  he,  "  and  did  not  belong  to  It,  so  the 
old  boar  has  gored  it  badly.  But  it  is  not  dead.  I'll  take  it  home, 
make  a  sty  for  it,  and,  if  it  lives,  I'll  fatten  it,  and  kill  it  when  it  is  fit 
for  eating." 

The  wounded  animal  lifted  an  appealing  glance  to  Sybil.     Its  eyes 


MA  GEARS  LEAP.  109 


wore  an  almost  human  expression  of  suffering,  and  a  most  beseeching 
plea  for  help.     The  girl's  heart  was  touched. 

"It  is  not  badly  hurt,"  she  said.  "Its  flesh  is  torn,  but  if  I  wash  its 
wounds,  and  bind  them  up,  and  find  a  nice  place  in  the  woods,  where 
I  can  make  it  comfortable,  and  feed  it,  it  will  get  well.  It  is  a  free, 
wild  creature,  and  must  not  be  shut  up  in  a  close  sty.  Think  of  my 
dear  brother  shut  up  when  he  wants  to  be  free  !" 

Christern  thought  Sybil's  plan  a  foolish  one,  but  this  last  argument 
silenced  him.  He  had  not  a  word  to  say  in  reply.  So  the  girl 
washed  off  the  blood  from  the  boar's  wounds  with  her  fine  cambric 
handkerchief,  which  she  then  tore  into  strips  to  bind  them  up.  She 
found,  in  a  secluded  place,  a  soft  cushion  of  moss  on  which  she  laid 
him,  and  partly  covered  him  with  leaves  to  keep  him  warm.  She  then 
brought  from  the  hut  some  of  her  own  scanty  supper,  and  gave  it  to 
the  little  boar. 

After  this  she  visited  her  patient  two  or  three  times  a  day,  nursing 
and  feeding  him.  But,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day,  he  had  dis- 
appeared, and  Sybil  returned  to  the  hut  feeling  quite  lonely  at  the 
loss  of  the  little  creature  that  had  been  so  glad  to  see  her. 

The  next  night,  as  Christern  was  returning  late  from  his  work, 
trudging  slowly  through  the  forest,  with  his  lantern  swinging  in  his 
hand,  and  his  wallet  slung  over  his  back  on  the  end  of  his  walking 
stick,  something  brushed  close  by  the  old  man's  ear  with  a  buzzing  of 
tiny  wings. 

"  That  dragon-fly  is  out  late,"  said  the  old  man  to  himself. 

Very  soon  the  wings  brushed  by  him  again  with  a  louder  whizzing. 

"  It  is  a  bat !"  said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head.     "  Shoo  !  shoo  !" 

But  the  third  time  the  whirring  wings  flew  almost  into  his  face. 

"  Good  evening,  old  Christern  !"  said  a  tiny  voice,  such  as  might 
come  from  ?  humming-bird,  if  it  could  speak. 

The  startled  old  man  stopped  and  flashed  the  light  of  his  lantern 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


around  among  the  trees.  And  there,  with  wee  wings  outspread,  was 
a  fairy  skimming  through  the  air  !  Christern  had  never  seen  a  fairy, 
but  he  knew  this  was  one  as  soon  as  he  saw  him.     And  a  jolly,  rol- 


licking fellow  he  was 


CHRISTERN   AND   THE   FAIRY. 


"You  don't  know  me,  old  fellow?"  said  the  fairy. 

Christern  shook  his  head. 

"  Wanted  to  shut  me  up  in  a  sty,  and  fatten  me,  eh  ?  I  wouldn't  be 
much  of  a  mouthful  now,  would  I  ?  Don't  you  wish  you  could  get  me?" 

And  the  saucy  fellow  soared  high  up  among  the  trees. 

Christern  nearly  dropped  his  lantern  in  his  astonishment.  "  You 
don't  ever  mean  to  tell  me  that  boars  are  fairies  ?"  he  said,  at  last. 


MAGHARS  LEAF. 


"  I  mean  to  say  nothing  of  the  kind !"  cried  the  fairy,  indignantly. 
"  Your  horrid,  beastly  boars  are  no  relations  of  ours,  even  !  I'll  tell 
you  how  it  was,"  he  said,  coming  nearer  Christern,  and  speaking  in  a 
confidential  tone.  "  Our  fairies  all  have  wings,  and  can  fly,  but 
there  are  other  kinds  without  wings.  Some  of  these  are  good,  but 
some  are  bad,  and  they  are  full  of  spite  against  us  because  we  are 
better  off  than  they.  I  offended  a  tribe  of  these  not  long  ago,  and 
they  had  influence  with  a  wicked  old  witch  who  changed  me  into  a  lit- 
tle boar.  I  was  to  remain  In  that  shape  for  a  week.  She  would  have 
made  the  time  longer,  If  she  could.  But  they  all  thought  I  would  be 
killed  in  that  time.  And  so  I  should  have  been  but  for  your  Sybil. 
And  there  was  another  thing  worse  than  death.  If  I  was  deprived  of 
my  liberty  during  that  week,  I  could  never  again  regain  my  natural 
shape.  So,  if  you  had  put  me  in  your  sty,  I  would  have  been  eaten 
up  one  of  these  days  as  a  boar.  From  this  awful  fate  your  Sybil 
saved  me.  So  I  am  doubly  indebted  to  her,  and  I  want  to  do  some- 
thing for  her." 

"  Oh,  you  are  the  good  fairy,  who  is  to  save  our  Maghar !"  cried  the 
old  man,  joyfully. 

Thereupon  he  related  the  whole  sad  story,  and  the  fairy  told  him 
he  would  consult  with  his  tribe  that  night ;  and,  if  he  and  Sybil  would 
come  to  that  spot  on  the  following  night  he  would  let  them  know  what 
could  be  done. 

Sybil's  delight  was  unbounded.  She  now  felt  sure  that  her  brother 
would  be  saved.  But,  nevertheless  she  accompanied  Christern  to  the 
place  of  meeting,  half  fearing  that  the  frisky  fairy  would  play  her  some 
trick.  But  he  was  there,  before  them,  and  had  dressed  himself  in  his 
best  suit  of  green  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 

As  soon  as  they  appeared  he  began  chattering  as  fast  as  ever  he 
could. 

"  We  fairies  have  hit  upon  a  splendid  plan,"  he  said.     "  But  there 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


is  no  time  to  lose.  Sybil,  I  have  seen  your  brother,  but  he  did  not 
see  me.  I  was  at  the  castle  this  morning  before  cock-crow.  I  flew 
in  through  a  loop-hole.  Nobody  saw  me.  It  took  me  a  long  time  to 
find  out  in  what  room  your  brother  was  kept,  but,  at  last,  I  made  it 
out.  I  intended  to  stay  until  I  did.  He  is  in  a  room,  high  up  in  the 
north  tower.  He  has  been  pretty  well,  but  now  his  jailers  have  begun 
the  plan  of  starving  him ;  and  he  will  soon  be  too  weak  to  save  him- 
self as  we  propose,  which  is  the  only  way  open  to  him.  It  requires 
steady  nerves,  and  great  courage.  But  do  not  weep,  for  we  will  save 
him,  only  it  must  be  done  speedily.  Do  you,  Christern,  be  ready  to 
go  with  me  to  the  castle  at  break  of  day.  Pretend  you  are  a  beggar. 
There  are  so  many  of  these  you  will  pass  unsuspected.  I  will  point 
out  to  you  a  small  postern  door  at  the  back  of  the  castle,  stay  about 
that;  and  I  will  hide  near  it.  I  could  slip  inside  easily  enough,  and 
tell  Maghar  what  to  do,  but  he  does  not  know  me,  and  would  not 
trust  me.  So  you  must  get  inside  the  castle  some  way  and  see  him. 
And,  not  only  that,  but  you  must  get  out  again.  And  this  is  our  plan 
for  doing  this.  We  fairies  have  three  magical  cocks.  At  a  signal 
from  me  these  cocks  will  appear  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  at  the  back  of 
the  castle,  and  will  singr  a  song^.  This  will  so  astonish  the  sentinels 
that  they  will  be  thrown  off  their  guard.  I  will  then  slip  in  through  a 
loop-hole,  unlock  the  postern  door,  and  let  you  in.  We  will  tell  Mag- 
har how  he  can  escape.  Then  the  cocks  will  appear  again,  and  while 
the  attention  of  the  guards  is  distracted,  we  will  get  out  of  the  castle. 
Remember  now  to  be  here  at  daybreak." 

And  the  fairy  disappeared,  much  to  Sybil's  regret,  who  had  a  Hun- 
dred questions  to  ask  him  about  her  brother's  appearance,  and  treat- 
ment. He  had  not  even  told  her  what  his  plan  was  for  her  brother's 
escape.  But  he  did  not  come  back,  and  she  was  obliged  to  be  satis- 
fied with  the  information  she  had. 

The  programme  was   carried   out  in   every  particular.     Christern 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP. 


acted  his  part  of  beggar  so  well  that  he  managed  to  get  near  the  pos- 
tern door,  unsuspected,  with  the  fairy  snugly  tucked  into  a  fold  of  his 
ragged  dress.  On  arriving  at  the  place  the  fairy  concealed  himself  in 
some  vines.  At  the  appointed  signal  three  magnificent  cocks  ap- 
peared abreast  on  the  top  of  the  hill. 


THREE   MAGICAL   COCKS. 


The  like  of  these  cocks  had  never  been  seen  in  that  country,  and 
they  immediately  attracted  the  attention  of  everybody.     But  when 
they  opened  their  mouths,  and  began  to  sing  the  words  of  a  war  song, 
8 


1 1 4  TALES  O  UT  OF  SCHO  OL. 

the  sentinels  forgot  everything,  and  deserted  their  posts  to  get  as  near 
the  wonderful  songsters  as  possible  without  alarming  them. 

Now  was  the  time  to  slip  into  the  castle  easily.  But  the  whole  plan 
had  liked  to  have  miscarried  through  a  circumstance  unforeseen  by  the 
fairies  who  had  contrived  it.  Christern  was  fully  as  much  delighted 
and  astonished  with  the  magical  cocks,  as  the  sentinels ;  and  was  on 
the  point  of  rushing  off  with  the  men,  when  the  fairy,  fortunately,  per- 
ceived his  intention,  and,  darting  out  of  the  postern  door,  which  was 
open,  he  pulled  Christern's  hair  so  vigorously  that  the  old  man  was 
reminded  of  his  duty,  and  felt  heartily  ashamed  that  he  had,  for  a  mo- 
ment, forgotten  his  dear  young  master. 

The  fairy  conducted  Christern,  at  once,  to  Maghar's  room.  He  had 
found  out  where  the  key  of  the  door  was  kept,  and  Christern  unlocked 
it.  Maghar  wc.s  lying  on  a  bed  of  straw  in  a  corner  of  a  stone  cell. 
He  looked  sick  with  despair.  He  did  not  move  when  the  door  opened, 
but,  as  soon  as  he  heard  Christern's  voice,  he  sprang  up  instantly. 
His  pale  face  flushed,  his  dulled  eyes  brightened,  and,  from  that  mo- 
ment, he  was  filled  again  with  life,  hope,  and  vigor. 

The  method  of  escape  planned  by  the  fairies  was  a  desperate  one. 
This  was  the  reason  the  fairy  had  taken  care  to  disappear  before 
Sybil  could  ask  him  what  it  was.  He  knew  she  would  think  it  im- 
possible. But  the  fairies  had  full  faith  in  its  success,  if  only  Maghar 
would  have  the  nerve  and  the  courage  to  go  through  his  part. 

At  certain  hours  sentinels  went  the  rounds  of  the  castle  rooms  to 
see  that  all  was  right.  The  fairy  knew  this,  and  had  planned  this  visit 
just  after  the  morning  round.  These  sentinels  had  rather  a  mono- 
tonous life,  and  were  glad  enough  sometimes,  especially  of  an  evening, 
to  stop  awhile  and  have  a  chat  with  a  prisoner  who  could  tell  them 
as  much  as  Maghar;  consequently  he  was  to  take  occasion  at  the 
next  visit  of  the  sentinels  to  invite  conversation;  to  skilfully  intro- 
duce the  subject  of  horseback  riding;  to  boast  of  his  own  powers  in 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP. 


15 


this  line;  and  to  declare  that  if  he  had  a  horse  he  knew  of  at  his  old 
home,  he  could  make  the  leap  from  the  top  of  the  tower  across  the 
chasm,  and  land  safely  on  the  opposite  side  on  the  hill  that  he  could 
see  from  his  window.  The  sentinels  would  not  credit  this,  but  would 
talk  of  it  in  the  court-yard,  and,  finally,  it  would  reach  the  ears  of  the 
governor  of  the  castle  and  his  officers.  Their  curiosity  would  be 
aroused  to  see  if  he  would  really  have  the  courage  to  make  the  at- 
tempt. As  for  the  successful  accomplishment  of  such  a  leap,  they 
would  consider  it  impossible.  The  young  knight  would  be  dashed  to 
pieces  at  the  foot  of  the  tower.  But  it  would  be  a  good  way  to  get 
rid  of  him.  They  could  let  it  be  known  that  he  had  perished  through 
his  own  fool-hardiness.  They  would  give  him  permission  to  make  the 
leap,  and  ask  where  the  horse  was  to  be  found.  Maghar  was  to  direct 
them  to  the  cave  of  the  magician,  taking  care  not  to  let  them  know 
that  he  was  anything  more  than  a  simple  hermit.  The  magician  would 
have  a  horse  ready — one  that  he  had  endowed  with  such  magical 
powers  that  it  would  make  the  leap  with  ease.  And  besides  myriads 
of  fairies  would  be  hovering  around,  invisible  to  all  eyes  except 
Maghar's,  and  these  would  help  to  keep  up  his  courage.  As  for 
getting  the  horse  up  the  castle  stairs  that  was  easily  managed. 
Maghar  had  only  to  play  an  air  on  the  flute,  and  the  horse  would 
follow  him  up  stairs  or  down. 

This  was  the  plan  of  the  fairies.  Christern  was  appalled  when  he 
heard  it.  But  Maghar  embraced  it  at  once.  It  was  better,  he  told 
Christern,  to  be  dashed  to  pieces  at  the  bottom  of  the  abyss  than  to 
suffer  the  slow  torture  of  starvation. 

The  old  man  and  the  fairy,  being  in  fear  of  discovery,  made  the  in- 
terview as  short  as  possible.  They  returned  to  the  postern  door,  the 
fairy  went  outside  through  the  loop-hole,  gave  his  signal,  and  again 
the  wonderful  cocks  appeared  on  the  hill.  This  time  they  sang  a 
merry  song,  and  kept  time  to  the  music  with  their  feet.     Again  the 


ii6  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

sentinels  were  charmed  into  deserting  their  posts,  and  Christern  and 
the  fairy  got  safely  away. 

Maghar  had  his  talk  with  the  guards,  and,  by  the  next  afternoon, 
everybody  in  the  castle,  from  the  governor  to  the  stable  boys,  had 
heard  of  his  great  boast  about  the  leap.  Everything  turned  out  just 
as  the  fairy  had  said.  The  governor,  and  his  officers,  glad  to  have 
some  sport,  proposed  to  Maghar  that  he  should  make  good  his  boast. 
They  felt  certain  he  would  be  killed,  and  in  that  way  they  would  hap- 
pily be  rid  of  him.  But  they  did  not  tell  him  this.  He  agreed  to  the 
proposition,  without  manifesting  any  eagerness,  but  stipulated  that  he 
should  have  food,  and  drink  to  strengthen  him,  and  that  his  sword  and 
armor  should  be  restored  to  him.  These  requests  were  granted.  It 
was  no  longer  necessary  to  starve  him  as  he  was  to  be  killed  another 
way. 

The  good  magician  had  the  horse  ready  for  the  messengers.  The 
animal  knew  exactly  what  was  expected  of  him ;  and,  when  Maghar 
was  led  down  by  his  guards  to  the  yard  to  see  the  steed,  it  rubbed  its 
head  against  his  shoulders  as  if  glad  to  see  him,  which  action  con- 
vinced the  spectators  that  the  two  were  old  acquaintances,  whereas 
they  had  never  seen  each  other  until  that  moment. 

It  was  a  powerfully-built  horse,  of  a  roan  color,  with  bright,  intelli- 
gent eyes,  and  a  flowing  mane,  and  tail  of  pure  white.  Everybody 
admired  it,  and  the  next  day  the  battlements  of  the  castle  were  crowd- 
ed with  people  to  witness  the  daring  feat  of  horsemanship.  The  top 
of  the  northern  tower  was  left  clear  for  the  horse  and  rider.  The  top 
of  the  southern  tower  was  reserved  for  the  governor,  and  his  officers. 

These  remained  below,  at  first,  to  witness  the  ascent  of  the  stairs, 
which,  in  itself,  was  a  remarkable  thing  for  a  horse  to  do.  Maghar 
walked  up  the  stairs  playing  an  inspiriting  air  on  the  flute,  and  the 
horse  followed  him  readily  but  slowly  up  the  long  and  winding  ascent, 
to  the  very  top  of  the  northern  tower. 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP. 


117 


"  THE   HORSE  STUMBLED   ON   THE   NARROW    BATTLEMENT." 


ii8  TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

The  great  personages  then  took  their  places  on  the  other  tower, 
and  Maghar  got  upon  the  back  of  the  horse. 

Up  to  this  moment  he  had  been  perfectly  cool  and  self-possessed ; 
but  now,  as  he  looked  across  the  yawning  chasm,  forty  feet  wide,  at 
the  wall  of  the  precipice  opposite,  a  spasm  of  fear  came  over  him.  He 
did  not  see  the  cloud  of  fairies  about  him.  His  hand  trembled,  and  he 
held  the  bridle  so  unsteadily  that  the  horse  stumbled  on  the  narrow 
battlement.  The  stones  of  the  old  tower  were  loose,  and  several  large 
ones  went  down  into  the  abyss  with  a  thundering  sound,  frightful  to 
hear.  One  of  the  hind  feet  of  the  horse  slipped  over  the  edge  of  the 
wall,  turning  Maghar  a  little  in  the  saddle,  so  that  he  looked  down  in- 
to the  awful  abyss. 

At  this  sight  he  made  a  superhuman  exertion  to  right  himself  in  the 
saddle,  and,  by  this  violent  impetus  he  threw  the  horse  over  so  much 
to  the  opposite  side  that  it  was  able  to  regain  its  foothold  on  the  tower. 
Perhaps,  too,  the  fairies  helped  it  a  little.  Maghar  saw  these  friendly 
little  people  now,  and  the  sight  gave  him  new  courage. 

The  horse  stepped  carefully  to  the  unbroken  side  of  the  tower. 
Maghar  saw  that  the  horse  was  standing  firmly ;  and,  then  without 
allowing  a  moment  for  reflection,  he  urged  the  noble  beast  to  the  leap. 

It  sprang  frantically  into  the  air ;  or  so  it  seemed  to  the  spectators. 
But  really  it  was  not  frantic  at  all,  but  a  steady,  powerful  impetus  that 
carried  it  clear  across  the  great  chasm. 

Horse  and  rider  landed  safely  on  the  opposite  bank  !  Enemies  and 
infidels  though  they  were,  the  spectators  cheered  and  shouted  in  ad- 
miration of  this  wonderful  feat  of  horsemanship  ! 

Maghar  dismounted  for  a  few  moments,  taking  care  to  put  the  cover, 
of  a  thick  copse  between  himself  and  any  arrow  shots  that  might  be 
sent  after  him.  He  wished  to  compose  his  own  nerves,  for  they  had 
been  terribly  shaken.  But  he  soon  mounted  again,  and  was  off  like 
the  wind. 


MAGHAR'S  LEAP.  119 


He  was  not  pursued.  The  Infidels  knew  it  to  be  useless,  for  he  had 
a  level  country  before  him,  and  they  must  toil  over  rough  ground,  and 
high  hills  to  reach  his  starting-place.  And  perhaps,  too,  they  thought 
he  had  shown  such  courage  and  skill  that  he  deserved  his  freedom. 

For  they  never  knew  anything  about  the  magical  powers  of  the 
horse  ;  and,  though  the  infidels  were  long  ago  driven  out  of  the 
country,  and  the  old  castle  is  a  heap  of  ruins,  the  story  of  the  wonder- 
ful leap  of  the  knight  Maghar  is  still  related  in  the  neighborhood. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE   SEA-COW. 

This  is  a  queer  name  for  a  fish.  But  then  you  must  admit,  after  a 
glance  at  its  portrait,  that  it  is  a  very  queer  fish.  It  is  not  shaped 
much  like  a  cow,  but  it  gives  milk ;  and  it  gets  the  name  of  cow  from 
that  circumstance. 

It  not  only  gives  milk  to  its  young,  but  it  is  warm-blooded,  while 
fishes  are,  you  know,  cold-blooded.  It  also  breathes  through  lungs  in- 
stead of  gills  like  fish.  In  all  these  things  it  resembles  the  whale. 
The  fact  is  that  neither  whales  or  sea-cows  are  really  fishes,  though 
they  are  generally  considered  as  such,  as  they  live  in  the  water  and 
swim  about  like  fishes. 

Sometimes  a  sea-cow  is  found  that  measures  fifteen  feet,  but,  usually, 
they  are  much  smaller.  Perhaps  you  may  have  heard  of  this  crea- 
ture by  the  name  of  manatee. 

Its  body  is  oblong ;  it  has  a  flat  tail,  which  is  quite  broad ;  its  fins 
are  something  like  arms,  and  its  head  is  small,  with  the  most  comical 
face  you  ever  saw.  I  am  afraid  you  would  be  so  impolite  as  to  laugh 
in  its  face  if  ever  you  saw  one. 

It  has  rather  a  stupid  expression,  in  which  respect  it  differs  from  its 
cousins  of  the  seal  family.  But  it  has  ideas  of  its  own,  and  very  good 
ones ;  and  it  is  very  playful  when  in  its  native  element. 

It  is  easy  to  capture  these  poor  beasts,  for  they  always  swim  in 
crowds ;  and,  if  one  is  hurt  with  the  harpoon,  the  others,  instead  of 
taking  themselves  out  of  danger,  stay  by  their  wounded  comrade,  and 
do  everything  in  their  power  to  assist  him.  They  will  try  to  pull  out 
the  weapon,  or  bite  at  the  rope  attached  to  it,  and  in  this  way  hunters 
can  often  secure  a  whole  troupe  of  manatees. 

The  sea-cow  has  a  thick  skin,  and  a  layer  of  fat  under  it  to  keep 
it  warm.     The  arm-like  fins  are  terminated  by  curious  appendages 


THE  SEA  COW. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


like  fingers,  except  they  are  united  by  a  sort  of  membrane,  or  skin. 
At  the  ends  of  these  are  nails,  similar  to  finger  nails.  The  resemblance 
of  these  fins  to  hands  must  be  strongly  marked,  for  it  is  from  these  it 
gets  its  name  of  manatee,  from  the  Latin  manus,  a  hand. 

It  is  said  by  some  that  the  female  manatee  carries  her  young  in 
these  arm-like  fins,  but  this  is  not  at  all  probable. 

The  sea-cow  feeds  upon  plants,  and  is,  therefore,  generally  found 
near  the  shores  of  rivers  and  lakes.     It  prefers  a  warm  climate. 

It  is  hunted  for  its  oil,  of  which  it  yields  a  good  supply  of  very  ex- 
cellent quality ;  and  for  its  flesh,  which  is  juicy  and  tender  eating. 

The  female  manatees  are  affectionate  mothers.  They  take  great 
care  of  their  children,  and  keep  them  by  them  a  long  time,  to  train 
them  in  the  way  in  which  they  should  go. 


TWO  EXTREMES.  123 


TWO  EXTREMES. 

The  ostrich  is  the  largest  bird  known  to  exist  in  the  world.  Its  body 
is  rather  small  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  its  neck  and  its  legs. 
The  latter  are  very  large  and  strong.  The  wings  and  tail  are  short, 
and  the  feathers  are  extremely  beautiful. 

For  these  feathers  they  are  hunted ;  but  their  speed  is  so  great  that 
it  is  impossible  for  the  swiftest  horse  to  overtake  them.  The  Euro- 
pean hunters  shoot  them,  and  the  native  Africans  have  various  ex- 
pedients for  entrapping  them.  They  can  run  from  a  hunter  as  fast 
as  the  fleet-footed  antelope. 

It  is  said,  that,  on  being  pursued,  the  birds  become  very  much 
frightened,  and  hide  their  heads  in  the  sand,  thinking  that  no  one  can 
see  them,  because  they  themselves  cannot  see,  and  that  many  are  run 
down  and  captured  in  this  way.  But  this  account  has  been  contra- 
dicted by  travelers,  and  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  so  sprighdy- 
looking  a  bird  is  so  very  stupid. 

The  wings  of  the  ostrich  are  not  intended  for  flight,  but  they  assist 
it  in  running.  The  bird  cannot  fly  at  all.  If  it  could  there  would  be 
no  use  for  such  prodigious  legs  as  it  has. 

But  the  ostrich  can  run  !  It  is  esdmated  that  one  of  these  giant 
birds  at  full  speed,  travels  at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour,  which  is 
as  fast  as  most  locomotives  go !  But  then  the  bird  gets  dred  after 
awhile,  and  the  locomotive  does  not.  The  ostrich,  however,  can 
travel  a  very  long  distance  before  it  gives  out  from  fatigue. 

It  is  a  magnificent-looking  bird  when  it  is  traveling  over  its  nadve 
sands  at  full  speed,  with  its  head  proudly  erect ;  its  bright  eyes  gleam- 
ing, its  wings  outspread,  and  its  feet  twinkling  over  the  sand  so  fast 
you  can  scarcely  see  them. 

In  a  public  garden  in  Paris  there  is  a  fine  ostrich,  which  is  very 


24 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


OSTRICHES   IN   FLIGHT. 


TWO  EXTREMES. 


gentle,  and  good-natured.  He  allows  himself  to  be  harnessed  to  a 
carriage,  in  which  little  children  ride  about  the  grounds.  He  is  not 
permitted  to  go  very  fast,  as  he  would  not  keep  in  the  road  in  that 
case  ;  but  a  keeper  walks  by  his  side  to  regulate  his  gait ;  and  one  of 
the  children  acts  as  driver,  holding  the  reins,  which  are  passed  around 
the  lower  part  of  the  bird's  neck. 

But,  you  may  say,  the  ostrich  is  indeed  very  large,  but  it  is  not  so 
very  much  like  a  bird,  because  it  cannot  fly. 

The  ostrich  is  certainly  a  bird ;  but,  if  you  insist  upon  it  that  a  bird 
must  fly,  we  will  take  a  look  at  the  condor,  and  see  how  large  he  is. 

He  is  intended  for  flight,  you  see,  and  has  short  legs,  and  long 
powerful  wings.  He  is  swifter  on  the  wing  than  the  ostrich  on  his 
feet,  and  will  take  a  steady  flight  for  miles  without  weariness.  He 
has  a  large  body  to  carry  through  the  air,  but,  though  large,  it  is  light, 
and  his  wings  are  enormous. 

A  large  full-grown  condor,  with  its  wings  spread,  measures  from 
twelve  to  fourteen  feet -from  tip  to  tip  of  the  wings;  and  nine  feet  is 
the  measure  of  very  ordinary  specimens. 

It  lives  on  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Andes  mountains  in  South 
America ;  and  builds  its  nests  on  crags  that  are  inaccessible  to  man. 
It  cares  nothing  for  snow  and  ice,  nor  for  the  great  tempests  of  wind 
that  sweep  over  these  lofty  summits.  Among  these  cold,  desolate 
rocks  it  makes  its  nest,  and  rears  a  hardy  brood  of  young  ones. 
When  it  wants  food  for  its  family,  it  perches  upon  a  jutting  rock,  and 
sends  its  piercing  glance  far  down  into  the  cultivated  valleys  below. 
When  it  has  singled  out  an  object  it  comes  down  with  a  swift,  grand 
swoop  of  its  wings,  and  strikes  its  prey  with  unerring  aim. 

It  has  marvelously  keen  and  long  vision,  and  can  see  an  object 
several  miles  distant  with  ease. 

Seen  thus  upon  the  wing,  the  condor  is  a  most  majestic-looking 
bird ;  but  when  you  get  a  near  view  of  him  you  find  he  is  nothing  but 


126 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


Tiro  EXTREMES.  127 


a  great  vulture,  and  has  all  the  disagreeable  features  and  traits  of  a 
vulture ;  being  a  cruel,  greedy,  and  dirty  creature,  that  is  glad  to  feed 
upon  carrion  ;  and  having  an  ugly,  hooded  head,  fierce  eyes,  and  a 
savage  beak.     His  wings  are  his  beauties. 

The  condor  is  fond  of  carrion,  but  it  also  feeds  upon  living  animals, 
or,  I  should  say,  kills  animals,  and  feeds  upon  the  fresh  flesh.  It  is  very 
strong  with  its  beak  and  talons  ;  and  two  of  them  will  sometimes  at- 
tack and  kill  a  sheep,  or  even  a  cow. 

Having  seen  such  very  large  birds,  let  us  turn  to  the  other  extreme, 
and  find  out  what  we  have  in  the  way  of  small  feathered  creatures. 

You  have,  no  doubt,  in  the  summer,  watched  the  brilliantly-colored 
humming-birds  flying  around  the  flowers,  and  dipping  their  long  bills 
into  the  blossoms  to  find  the  insects  that  may  be  there.  They  want 
these  insects  for  their  dinner,  and  they  run  their  bills  so  deftly  into  the 
blossoms,  and  touch  them  so  daintily  that  they  do  not  injure  them  in 
the  least.  On  the  contrary  they  help  them  by  eating  the  insects  that 
would  otherwise  feed  upon  the  flowers. 

While  doing  this  you  will  observe  they  make  a  little  buzzing  noise 
with  their  wings.     From  this  they  get  their  name. 

When  hovering  over  a  flower  they  move  with  such  rapidity  that  you 
can  scarcely  see  any  motion  at  all,  and  the  birds  look  as  if  they  were 
painted  on  the  air. 

You  think  these  humming-birds  very  small ;  but  in  South  America, 
the  home  of  the  condor,  they  have  some  humming-birds  no  larger 
than  bumble-bees  !  It  would  be  a  curious  sight  to  see  one  of  these 
by  the  side  of  the  condor !  But,  while  the  latter  lives  on  the  snowy 
mountain  tops,  the  humming-birds  stay  in  the  warm  valleys,  where 
there  are  plenty  of  flowers  and  insects. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  these  birds  live  on  the  honey  of  the 
flowers.     They  do  often  eat  the  honey,  but  they  prefer  insects. 

There  are  a  great  many  species  of  these  tiny  birds,  and  nearly  all 


128 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


SPARKLING-TAILED    HUMMING-BIRDS. 


TIVO  EXTREMES.  129 


are  brilliantly  colored.  The  most  gorgeous  specimens  are  found  in 
tropical  countries.  They  are  differently  marked.  Some  have  such 
bright  spots  on  their  tails  that  they  are  called  "  sparkling-tailed." 

Humming-birds  build  their  diminutive  nests  on  vines  and  low  trees. 
Their  eggs  are  the  size  of  little  peas,  and  white  in  color.  The  species 
I  mentioned  as  being  no  larger  than  bees  build  the  dearest  little  nests, 
no  bigger  than  a  walnut;  and  they  put  into  them  the  cunningest 
litde  eggs,  and  hatch  out  their  very  small  young  ones,  just  as  grandly 
as  if  they  were  great  condors. 

And  they  do  not  like  confinement  any  better  than  the  condors  do. 
Shut  up  in  cages  they  generally  pine,  and  die.  They  are  made  for 
sunshine  and  flowers,  free,  out-door  life  and  happiness. 


13© 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


A  SNOW-STORM  IN  THE  TROPICS. 

"Father,"  said  George  Moore,  one  stormy  winter's  night,  "won't  you 
please  tell  me  of  some  one  of  your  adventures?" 

"You  seem  never  to  tire  of  my  adventures,"  said  his  father,  smiling. 


SEAL   FISHERMAN. 


A  SNOW-STORM  IN   THE  TROPICS. 


"  Did  I  ever  tell  you  how  nearly  I  was  lost  once,  in  a  snow-storm,  in 
the  tropics?" 

"A  snow-storm  in  the  tropics!     How  could  that  be?" 

"It  happened  when  I  was  quite  a  young  man,  that,  for  several 
months,  in  the  course  of  business,  I  had  to  stay  at  a  lonely  place  on 
the  coast  of  Peru.  I  was  in  a  town,  but  it  was  a  dull  one,  and  only 
showed  signs  of  life  when  some  trading  vessel  would  lie  there  for  a 
day  or  two.  My  only  amusement  was  seal  fishing ;  but  I  soon  tired 
of  that,  for  I  was  not  very  successful.  It  was  a  sport  that  required 
more  practice  than  I  was  able  to  give  it.  The  boats  are  nothing  but 
two  bags  of  skin,  connected  by  a  narrow  deck,  and  I  did  not  consider 
them  altogether  safe,  for  me,  at  least. 

"At  last  I  thought  I  would  vary  the  monotony  of  my  life  by  a  little 
trip  up  the  Andes  mountains.  I  could  not  go  alone,  of  course,  but  a 
small  sum  was  sufficient  to  hire  a  guide,  and  two  men  besides,  and 
four  mules.  There  were  no  hostile  Indians  to  fear,  and  the  guide  was 
all  that  I  needed,  but  I  knew  he  would  be  better  contented  with  some 
companions,  and  I  felt,  myself,  that  it  would  be  a  lonely  sort  of  jour- 
ney for  two. 

"It  was  my  intention  to  make  an  early  start,  but  it  was  quite  late  in 
the  morning  before  I  could  get  the  lazy  natives  on  the  road.  The 
first  part  of  our  march  was  across  a  sandy,  stony  desert,  with  the  rays 
of  a  hot  sun  beating  on  our  heads.  My  broad-brimmed  Panama  did 
not  prevent  my  face  from  blistering,  and  the  white  cotton  cape  I  wore 
did  not  seem  to  be  much  of  a  protection. 

"We  halted  twice  to  take  some  refreshments,  and  short  rests;  and, 
before  sunset,  we  arrived  at  a  miserable  sort  of  inn,  where  we  remained 
for  three  hours,  and  rested  ourselves  and  the  mules;  and  both  men  and 
beasts  ate  hearty  suppers.  Then  we  continued  our  journey,  for  it 
was  more  pleasant  to  travel  at  night  than  in  the  day.  It  was  evident 
that  we  were  reaching  higher  ground,  though  the  ascent  was  so  easy 


132 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


as  scarcely  to  be  perceptible.     But  the  air  gradually  became  fresher 
and  cooler,  and,  at  last,  a  woolen  cloak  was  comfortable. 

"When  day  came  we  found  ourselves  in  a  region  almost  as  barren 
as  the  desert  we  had  left  the  day  before.  We  were  on  a  rocky  plain, 
high  up  on  the  hills,  or,  more  properly,  small  mountains.  No  plants 
grew  on  this  plain  except  a  few  species  of  cactus,  which  flourish  in  the 
poorest  soils :  there  were  no  signs  of  life,  but  flocks  of  turtle-doves." 


CACTUS   PLANTS. 


A  SNOWS  TO  JiM  IN  THE  TROPICS.  133 

"That  must  have  been  a  pretty  sight,  though,  father!  I  should  Hke 
to  see  a  great  many  turtle-doves  together." 

"You  would  not,  if  you  were  a  Peruvian  farmer,  for  these  poetical 
birds  are  the  very  mischief  in  the  grain-fields.  They  only  troubled  us 
by  their  melancholy  wail.  Their  sad  notes  made  this  dreary  solitude 
still  more  awful. 

"But  I  had  a  consolation.  Before  me  rose  grandly  up  the  high 
peaks  of  the  Andes.     Their  white  tops  seemed  to  touch  the  sky. 

"After  a  time,  to  my  surprise,  we  began  to  descend.  In  a  few  hours 
more  we  were  in  a  lovely  valley,  filled  with  villages,  and  farms,  and 
trees,  and  flowers.  I  staid  there  two  days  enjoying  the  valley,  and  m- 
specting  its  curiosities,  which  I  will  tell  you  about  some  time." 

"Was  it  warm  in  the  valley?" 

"Yes,  but  not  oppressively  hot.  It  was  high  upon  the  hills;  and 
then  it  was  the  month  of  August,  and  the  winter  season." 

"Winter  season  in  August?" 

"Of  course.  I  was  south  of  the  equator,  where  the  seasons,  you 
know,  are  just  the  reverse  of  ours.  We  commenced  the  ascent  of  the 
mountains  in  high  spirits.  The  wind  was  cool  and  bracing;  and  the 
vegetation  all  around  us  was  of  great  interest  to  me.  But  it  began 
to  change  rapidly;  and,  before  night,  we  were  among  huge  stones,  and 
jagged  rocks,  where  only  evergreens  were  seen." 

"  How  could  you  find  the  way  ?" 

"  There  was  a  rough  kind  of  road  over  the  mountains.  In  many 
places  I  should  never  have  been  able  to  find  it  at  all,  but  the  guide 
knew  all  the  landmarks. 

"The  first  night  we  spent  in  an  Indian  cabin  ;  and  the  next  morn- 
ing continued  our  journey,  but  we  were  not  so  gay  as  on  the  preced- 
ing day.  It  was  bitter  cold,  and  we  needed  all  the  wraps  we  had  with 
us.  I  do  not  know  how  our  two  companions  managed  to  wander 
away  from  the  road,  as  they  afterwards  insisted  that  they  did.     I  think 


134  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

the  cold  was  too  much  for  their  courage,  and  they  grew  tired  of  their 
bargain,  and  made  up  their  minds  to  fall  back  of  us,  and  watch  a  chance 
to  turn  around  and  go  home.  The  guide  and  I  soon  missed  them, 
and  we  rode  about  in  various  directions,  calling  them,  and  searching 
for  them.  But  it  was  easy  enough  for  them  to  conceal  themselves 
behind  a  rock,  or  in  a  ravine,  and  we  could  not  find  them.  We  gave 
them  up  at  last,  hoping  they  would  find  their  way  back  again. 

"  But  we  soon  discovered  that,  in  looking  for  them,  we  had  lost  our 
way.  For  hours  we  wandered  about,  and  my  guide  could  not  find  a 
trace  of  the  road.  This  was  serious,  for  we  had  but  a  small  stock  of 
provisions,  as  there  were  Indian  huts  scattered  all  along  the  regular 
route,  on  which  we  had  relied  for  supplies.  We  could  not  travel  over 
this  rough  country  at  night ;  and  a  night's  exposure  to  the  cold  was 
not  to  be  thought  of  without  a  shudder.  And  besides,  we  might  never 
find  our  way  out  of  this  frightful  solitude. 

"  Was  there  nothing  anywhere  about  to  show  that  any  kind  of 
people  lived  there  ?" 

*  No.  It  seemed  to  me  we  were  the  first  human  beings  who  had 
ever  set  foot  there.  In  the  midst  of  our  perplexities  my  guide  pointed 
silently  to  the  sky.  There  were  several  small,  thick,  white  clouds 
floating  there.  They  did  not  look  very  terrible,  but  the  guide  said  we 
would  soon  have  a  storm,  and  we  must  try  to  find  shelter.  Soon 
more  white  clouds  floated  into  sight,  and  they  increased  until  they  hid 
the  sun  from  us.  We  were  now  on  smoother  ground,  and  pressed 
forward  as  fast  as  we  could,  but  there  was  no  place  of  shelter  to  be 
seen,  not  even  an  overhanging  rock. 

"  Socn  the  wind  came  with  a  rush ;  and  then  the  thunder  and  light- 
ning. Our  mules  broke  into  a  gallop.  We  enveloped  ourselves  in 
the  folds  of  our  great  woolen  wrappers,  called  tapacaras,  lifting  our 
heads  once  in  a  while  to  see  where  we  were  going.  Next  we  were 
treated  to  a  shower  of  hail-stones.     Fortunately  they  were  not  very 


A  SNOW-STORM  IN  THE  TROPICS.  135 

large,  but  we  were  rather  severely  thumped  with  them.  The  pooi* 
mules  fared  the  worst. 

"  And  then  came  the  snow.  The  arctic  regions  could  not  furnish 
a  better  example  of  a  snow-storm  than  this  tropical  place  !  It  fell  so 
thick  and  fast  we  could  not  see  twenty  steps  in  advance.  My  heart 
failed  me  then.  I  thought  we  were  lost,  and  would  be  buried  in  snow 
drifts. 

"But  just  then  a  dark  object  loomed  up  before  us.  'An  Indian 
lodge!'  I  cried  in  joy. 

"  The  guide  said  nothing,  but  rode  on  before  me,  and  called  to  me 
to  dismount.  I  was  glad  enough  to  do  this,  and  he  pointed  to  the 
open  doorway  of  the  building.  It  was  so  low  I  had  to  crawl  through 
it,  but  I  was  thankful  to  get  in,  in  any  fashion." 

"  I  wonder,  father,  that  you  were  not  afraid  of  finding  something 
dreadful  in  there  !" 

"  I  did  not  stop  to  think  about  the  matter.  And  then  I  knew  there 
was  something  dreadful  outside.  So,  in  I  went,  and  found  the  place 
entirely  empty.  The  guide  followed  me  as  soon  as  he  had  covered 
the  mules,  and  made  them  as  comfortable  as  he  could." 

"  It  was  a  deserted  house,  I  suppose." 

"  No,  it  was  a  tomb." 

"  A  tomb  !     Out  in  that  lonely  place  !" 

"  Yes,  but  then  the  place  had  not  always  been  lonely.  I  found  out 
afterwards  that  that  region  was  once  inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  Indians. 
They  all  perished  before  their  country  was  discovered  by  Europeans, 
but  some  of  their  dwellings,  and  many  of  their  tombs  remained. 
These  tombs  were  large  stone  buildings,  with  one  room,  lighted  by  a 
single  window.  This  room  was  capable  of  holding  ten  or  twelve  dead 
bodies,  placed  in  a  sitting  posture.  These  bodies  were  first  embalmed 
— made  into  what  we  call  mummies.  When  the  tomb  was  full  the 
door  was  sealed  up.     The  Europeans  opened  these  sepulchres  that 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


'    •! '  I  'I'll  Hi  " 


A  SNOW-STORM  IN  THE  TROPICS.  137 

had  been  sealed  up  for  centuries ;  and  carried  the  mummies  away  to 
put  into  museums. 

"  The  tomb  in  which  we  had  taken  refuge  had  been  despoiled  of  its 
mummies  long  before.  The  room  inside  was  about  ten  feet  square. 
It  was  built  of  very  large  stones,  and  had  sloping  walls.  It  was  a 
cheerless  place  enough,  but  seemed  sumptuous  to  us,  after  what  we 
had  passed  through. 

"In  half  an  hour  the  storm  ceased,  and  we  proceeded  on  our 
journey,  hoping  to  recover  the  road.  But  we  could  not,  and  night 
was  approaching,  with  no  prospect  of  a  shelter.  So  we  retraced  our 
steps  to  the  sepulchre  once  more,  lighted  a  fire  within,  consumed  the 
last  of  our  provisions,  gave  the  mules  what  was  left  of  their  provender 
and  slept  soundly  all  night." 

"  Were  you  not  afraid  of  wild  beasts  ?" 

"  There  were  none  in  that  region,  or  at  least  the  guide  knew  of 
none.  There  were  too  many  settlements  among  the  mountains.  And 
the  guide  still  insisted  upon  it  that  we  had  not  wandered  far  from  the 
regular  route.  I  had  my  doubts  on  the  subject,  but  they  did  not  pre- 
vent me  from  sleeping  soundly,  for  I  was  very  tired. 

"The  next  morning  was  bright,  and  we  set  off  in  better  spirits,  and 
with  renewed  hope,  though  rather  hungry.  Our  hunger  became  so 
great  after  a  time  that  it  quite  conquered  our  spirits,  and  we  stumbled 
about  the  rocks,  sick  and  dispirited.  We  spared  our  mules  all  we 
could,  for  the  poor  beasts  were  nearly  worn  out  and  half  starved.  If 
they  failed  us  we  would  indeed  be  in  a  bad  plight. 

"Finally,  utterly  exhausted,  we  all  laid  down,  beasts  and  men  to- 
gether, to  keep  warm,  and  to  rest.  I  was  just  dropping  into  a  doze 
when  I  heard  the  sound  of  music.  The  guide  heard  it  also,  and  we 
both  started  up,  and  felt  new  life  in  our  veins.  So  suddenly  did  hope 
spring  up  in  our  hearts,  that  all  fatigue  dropped  from  us  as  if  by  magic. 
The  mules  too  pricked  up  their  ears  at  the  sound.     We  sprang  upon 


138 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


A  SNOW-STORM  IN  THE    TROPICS.  139 

their  backs  and  were  soon  traveling  towards  the  point  from  whence 
the  music  came.     It  was  not  long  before  we  came  upon  the  musician. 

"A  bare-legged  Indian,  in  a  gay  striped  cloak  and  broad  Panama 
hat  was  running  along  at  a  rapid  pace,  and  playing  upon  a  mouth-or- 
gan. He  led  a  bony  horse  which  trotted  gently  after  him.  Across  its 
back  was  a  leathern  bag. 

"This  man  was  a  mail  carrier,  and  was  on  his  way  from  the  sea-coast 
to  some  .mountain  town.  So  it  turned  out  that  the  guide  was  right, 
and  we  had  not  been  at  any  great  distance  from  the  settlements. 
Nevertheless,  had  it  not  been  for  the  music  of  this  poor  little  mouth- 
organ  we  might  have  wandered  off  in  a  contrary  direction  from  the 
highway,  and  have  lost  ourselves  in  the  forest,  and  perished  there.  In- 
deed we  might  never  have  awakened  from  the  sleep  into  which  we 
were  falling  when  we  heard  the  strain  of  music." 

"Did  you  go  with  the  mail  carrier,  father?" 

'No.  He  was  not  going  to  the  place  for  which  we  were  bound. 
But  he  told  us  that  just  behind  the  spur  of  the  mountain  we  would 
find  an  Indian  village.  And  there  we  rested  for  a  day  and  refreshed 
ourselves,  and  filled  our  provision  bags,  and  procured  a  guide  to  the 
road  we  wished  to  take.     The  rest  of  my  journey  was  made  in  safety." 

"But,  father,  I  don't  think  that  was  a  tropical  snow-storm,  when  it 
happened  in  so  cold  a  place.  I  always  think  of  tropic  as  meaning 
hot." 

"It  was  a  tropical  snow-storm  George,  certainly,  for  we  were  in  the 
tropics,  only  a  few  degrees  south  of  the  equator.  The  weather  was 
cold  because  we  were  so  high  up  in  the  air." 


I40  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


HOW  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO  THE  MOON. 

That  is,  how  it  is  said  that  they  went  to  the  moon.  That  no  man 
ever  did  go  is  very  certain,  and  that  no  one  ever  will  go,  is  very  pro- 
bable, but  true  as  these  statements  are,  they  did  not  prevent  a  French- 
man from  writing  a  story  about  a  trip  to  the  moon,  undertaken  by  two 
Americans,  and  one  Frenchman. 

I  cannot  tell  you  all  this  story,  but  I  can  give  you  a  few  of  the  in- 
cidents that  occurred  during  the  journey,  and  although  these  are 
purely  imaginary,  they  are  very  interesting  and  amusing.  If  any  one 
ever  had  made  this  journey  he  would  probably  have  gone  as  these 
three  people  went  in  the  story.  Everything  is  described  as  minutely 
and  carefully  as  if  it  had  really  happened. 

The  journey  was  made  in  an  immense,  hollow  cannon  ball,  or 
rather  a  cylindrical  shot,  which  was  fired  out  of  a  great  cannon,  nine 
hundred  feet  long ! 

This  cannon,  which  was  pointed  directly  at  the  spot  where  the  moon 
would  be  by  the  time  the  ball  had  time  to  reach  it,  was  planted  in  the 
earth  in  Florida,  where  thousands  of  people  congregated  to  see  it 
fired  off. 

When  the  great  load  of  gun-cotton  was  touched  off  by  means  of  an 
electrical  battery,  there  was  a  tremendous  explosion,  and  away  went  the 
great  hollow  projectile,  with  the  three  travelers  inside,  directly  towards 
the  moon. 

This  projectile  was  very  comfortably  and  conveniently  arranged. 
The  walls  were  padded  and  there  were  springs  in  the  fioor,  so  that 
the  inmates  might  not  receive  too  great  a  shock  when  they  started. 
It  was  furnished  with  plenty  of  provisions,  with  contrivances  for  light- 
ing and  ventilating  it,  and  a  machine  for  manufacturing  atmospheric. 


IfOli^  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO  THE  MOON 


141 


air,  which  is  something  that  travelers  do  not  expect  to  find  at  the 
moon. 

There  were  thick  plate-glass  windows  in  the  sides,  and  everything 
that  could  be  thought  of  to  make  the  trip  comfortable  and  safe  was 
found  in  this  curious  aerial  car. 


THE  DOGS  THAT  STARTED  FOR  THE  MOON. 


Not  only  were  there  three  men  in  the  projectile,  but  it  contained 


142  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

two  dogs  and  some  chickens.  The  picture  shows  the  dogs,  which 
were  handsome  creatures,  and  it  will  also  give  you  an  idea  of  the  in- 
side arrangements,  with  the  telescope,  and  the  guns  hanging  on  the 
wall. 

The  distance  from  the  earth  to  the  moon  was  to  be  accomplished  in 
about  four  days,  and  after  the  first  shock  of  the  starting,  which  was 
quite  heavy,  notwithstanding  the  springs  and  the  cushions,  our  tra- 
velers began  to  make  themselves  at  home. 

They  talked,  they  ate  and  drank  and  smoked.  They  took  observa- 
tions out  of  their  windows,  and  watched  the  earth  recede  until  it 
looked  like  a  great  moon,  and  saw  the  moon  approach  until  it  seemed 
like  a  little  earth. 

One  of  them,  the  Frenchman,  was  in  such  high  spirits  that  if  his 
companions  would  have  allowed  him  he  would  have  got  outside  of 
tl^eir  litde  house  and  stood  in  triumph  on  the  very  top,  as  it  went 
whizzing  through  the  air. 

The  artist  has  given  us  a  picture  of  how  he  would  have  looked  if 
he  had  stood  out  there  where  he  wanted  to  perch  himself. 

His  idea  was  that  as  there  was  as  much  momentum  in  him  as  there 
was  in  the  projectile,  there  was  no  danger  of  his  falling  off  and  being 
left  behind. 

But  if  any  of  you  ever  do  go  to  the  moon  in  a  hollow  cannon-ball,  I 
would  strongly  recommend  you  not  to  get  outside. 

After  a  while  they  passed  beyond  the  limit  of  the  earth's  attraction, 
and  began  to  enter  that  of  the  moon.  But  when  they  were  about  on 
the  line  between  these  two  attracdons,  a  very  singular  thing  took 
place.  Everything  in  the  projectile,  the  men,  the  dog,  (one  of  the 
dogs  died  the  first  day  and  was  thrown  out)  the  telescope,  the  chick- 
ens and  every  article  that  was  not  fastened  down,  seemed  to  lose  all 
its  gravity  or  weight. 

As  there  is  no  reason  why  anything  without  weight  should  stay  in 


I/Olf^  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO   THE  MOON. 


'43 


THE  FRENCHMAN  OUTSIDE. 


any  particular  place,  unless  it  is  fastened  there  by  some  mechanical 
means,  these  people  and  things  began  to  float  about  in  the  air. 

The  men  rose  up  and  were  wafted  here  and  there  by  a  toucb. 


144 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


Hats  floated  away  and  chickens  and  telescopes  hung  suspended  be- 
tween the  floor  and  the  roof,  as  thistledown,  on  a  still  summer's  day 
floats  in  the  air. 

Even  the  dog,  who  thought  that  he  was  sitting  on  the  floor,  was 
sitting  in  the  air,  several  feet  from  the  floor. 


EVERY  THING   WAS   FLOATING   IN   THE    AIR. 


HO IV  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO   THE  MOON.  145 

This  was  a  most  remarkable  state  of  things,  and  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  travelers  could  not  very  soon  get  used  to  it. 

To  feel  oneself  soaring  like  a  balloon  must  certainly  be  a  curious 
sensation. 

But  these  men  expected  all  sorts  of  strange  experiences,  and  so 
this  did  not  frighten  them,  and  the  nearer  they  came  to  the  moon,  the 
more  effect  her  gravity  had  upon  them,  and  as  the  projectile  gradually 
turned  Its  heaviest  end  towards  the  moon  its  Inmates  gradually  recov- 
ered their  weight,  and  sat  and  stood  like  common  people. 

After  journeying  still  further  they  had  another  very  strange  expe- 
rience. 

As  they  gradually  neared  the  moon  they  found  that  they  were  also 
revolving  around  It.  This  was  very  unfortunate.  If  this  motion  con- 
tinued, the  result  of  their  journey  would  be  that  their  projectile  would 
become  a  lunar  satellite — a  moon's  moon.  They  would  go  around 
and  around  forever,  and  never  reach  the  moon  or  be  able  to  get  back 
to  the  earth. 

After  a  while  they  got  around  to  the  shadow  side  of  the  moon,  so 
that  she  was  between  them  and  the  earth. 

Then  they  were  in  total  darkness  excepting  when  they  lighted  their 
gas-burner,  and  they  could  not  keep  the  gas  burning  all  the  time,  as 
their  supply  was  getting  rather  low. 

But  the  darkness  was  not  their  chief  trouble.  It  began  to  be  very 
cold.  And  then  It  got  colder  and  still  colder,  until  they  thought  they 
should  freeze  into  solid  lumps.  Their  breath  congealed  so  that  it  fell 
in  the  form  of  snow  about  them,  and  the  poor  dog,  shivering  under  a 
cloak,  lay  upon  the  floor  as  cold  as  if  he  had  been  dropped  Into  a  deep 
hole  in  an  ice-berg. 

They  thought  it  must  be  still  colder  outside,  and  so  they  lowered  a 
thermometer  through  a  small  trap-door  in  the  floor,  and  when  they 
drew  it  in  the  mercury  stood  at  218  degrees  below  zero! 
10 


T46  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

That  was  a  very  fine  thermometer,  and  it  is  a  Frenchman  who  tells 
this  story. 

A.t  last  they  passed  around  the  moon,  and  again  found  themselves 


THE    TRAVELERS    ARE   COLD. 


Upon  its  sunny  side.     Then  they  were  happy.     Light  and  heat,  aftef 
the  dreadful  darkness  and  cold  through  which  they  had  passed  were 


HO IV  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO  THE  MOON.  147 

enough  to  make  men  happy,  especially  men  so  far  away  from  home 
and  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  civilized  society. 

As  they  passed  around  the  moon  they  had  a  fine  opportunity  of  ob- 
serving the  lunar  landscapes.  They  were  not  so  far  away  but  that 
with  their  glasses  they  could  see  the  mountains  and  plains,  and  all 
sorts  of  curious  caves,  and  wonderful  formations  like  forts  and  castles, 
but  which  they  knew  to  be  nothing  but  great  masses  of  the  moon's 
surface,  thrown  up  in  these  strange  shapes  by  volcanic  action.  It  is 
probable  that  what  is  described  in  this  story  is  very  like  what  the  real 
surface  of  the  moon  must  be. 

After  they  had  revolved  some  time  they  found  that  they  were  get- 
ting farther  and  farther  away  from  the  moon,  and  this  made  them  sup 
pose  that  they  were  moving  in  an  elliptical  orbit.  They  were  much 
discouraged  by  this  idea,  for  they  thought,  and  very  justly  too,  that 
there  was  now  no  chance  of  the  moon's  drawing  them  towards  itself, 
so  that  they  would  fall  upon  its  surface. 

This  they  had  hoped  to  do,  and  they  did  not  expect  to  suffer  from 
the  fall,  for  the  attraction  of  the  moon  is  so  much  less  than  that  of  the 
earth  that  they  thought  they  would  descend  rather  gently  on  the  moon's 
surface.  But  now  there  seemed  to  be  no  chance  of  their  getting  there  at  all. 

At  last,  however,  they  found  that  they  were  passing  entirely  out  of 
the  line  of  the  moon's  attraction,  and  after  that  they  perceived  plainly 
that  they  were  falling. 

But  not  upon  the  moon.     They  were  falling  towards  the  earth! 

This  was  dreadful.  A  fall  of  240,000  miles!  But  they  could  not 
help  it,  and  down  they  went. 

Out  in  the  Pacific  ocean  there  was  a  United  States  steamship,  taking 
soundings.  The  captain  was  astonished  to  find  at  the  place  where 
they  were  sailing,  about  two  hundred  miles  from  the  coast  of  Califor- 
nia, that  the  water  was  so  deep  that  the  longest  sounding  lines  would 
scarcely  reach  the  bottom. 


148 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


As  he  and  his  officers  were  discussing  this  matter,  a  distant  hissing 
sound  was  heard,  like  the  escape  of  steam  from  a  steam-pipe.  But 
it  sounded  as  if  it  were  high  up  in  the  air.  It  came  nearer  and  nearer 
and  grew  louder  and  louder,  and  as  all  eyes  were  turned  upwards  to 
wards  the  point  from  which  the  hissing  seemed  to  come,  they  saw 
what  they  thought  was  a  great  meteor,  rapidly  approaching  them  from 
the  sky. 


THE   NARROW    ESCAPE  OF   THE   STEAMER. 


HO  IV  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO  THE  MOON.  149 

It  seemed  to  be  coming  directly  towards  the  ship.  In  a  moment 
more  they  saw  plainly  that  it  was  coming  straight  down  on  the  ship! 

Before  they  had  time  to  do  anything,  or  even  to  give  warning  to 
those  who  were  below,  it  dashed  into  the  sea  just  before  the  vessel, 
carr)ing  away  the  bowsprit  in  its  furious  descent. 

Fortunately  that  was  all  the  damage  it  did.  Had  the  vessel  been  a 
few  yards  farther  in  advance  it  would  have  been  instantly  sunk. 

It  was  a  most  narrow  escape,  and  everybody  felt  wonderfully  re- 
lieved when  this  great  object,  which  looked  like  a  ball  of  fire  as  it  came 
so  rapidly  through  the  air,  sank  hissing  into  the  sea. 

But  the  cff.<_crs  guessed  what  it  was,  when  it  had  disappeared. 
They  had  heard  of  the  wonderful  trip  to  the  moon  that  had  been  un- 
dertaken by  the  three  adventurers,  and  they  very  sensibly  supposed 
that  this  must  be  the  projectile  that  had  fallen  back  upon  the  earth. 

When  they  had  made  up  their  minds  about  the  matter,  and  this  did 
not  take  them  long,  they  began  to  think  what  they  should  do.  The 
unfortunate  men  in  the  projectile  might  be  yet  alive,  and  measures 
should  instantly  be  taken  to  rescue  them,  if  they  were  living,  and  in 
any  case,  to  raise  the  projectile  and  discover  their  fate. 

But  the  vessel  had  no  machinery  by  which  this  ponderous  mass 
could  be  drawn  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  especially  as  the  sea 
was  at  this  spot  about  four  miles  deep. 

So  they  determined  to  return  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  San  Francisco 
and  obtain  the  necessary  machinery  for  the  work.  Fortunately  they 
had  been  sounding  and  had  a  line  out.  So  they  fastened  a  buoy  to 
this  line  to  mark  the  place,  and  steamed  away  at  the  best  speed  of 
their  vessel,  for  San  Francisco. 

When  they  reached  this  port  the  news  was  telegraphed  to  the  pro- 
per authorities,  and,  indeed,  all  over  the  country,  and  of  course  it 
created  a  great  excitement. 

The  officers  of  the  Society  which  had  been  the  means  of  sending  off 


150  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


these  three  men  on  their  hazardous  journey,  went  immediately  to  work, 
and  in  a  few  days  the  steamer,  supplied  with  diving  machinery  and 
grappling  irons,  set  out  to  return  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 

There  everybody  worked  rapidly  and  manfully.  Diving  bells  were 
lowered  and  everything  that  could  be  done  was  done,  but  although 
they  labored  day  and  night,  for  several  days  no  trace  of  the  great  pro- 
jectile could  be  found  on  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  after  searching  care- 
fully for  a  mile  or  two  on  every  side  of  the  buoy  that  had  been  left 
when  they  returned  to  San  Francisco. 

At  last  they  became  convinced  that  further  search  was  useless,  and 
much  to  the  disappointment  of  everybody,  and  the  intense  grief  of  the 
friends  of  the  unfortunate  men  who  had  come  out  on  the  vessel  when 
it  started  on  its  errand  of  rescue,  the  Captain  ordered  the  steamer  to 
return  to  San  Francisco. 

When  they  had  been  sailing  homeward  for  an  hour  or  so,  a  sailor 
discovered,  about  a  mile  from  the  vessel,  what  seemed  to  be  a  large 
buoy,  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

In  an  instant  every  glass  in  the  vessel  was  directed  towards  this 
object.  It  was  like  a  buoy,  but  it  had  a  flag  floating  from  the  top  of 
it! 

The  steamer  immediately  headed  for  it,  and  when  they  came  near 
enough  everybody  saw  what  it  was. 

It  was  the  great  projectile  quietly  floating  on  the  waves ! 

The  air  which  it  contained  had  made  it  so  buoyant  that  although  it 
probably  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  in  its  rapid  descent,  it  had 
risen  again,  and  was  now  riding  on  the  surface  of  the  ocean  like  a 
corked  bottle. 

But  were  the  men  alive?     This  must  be  settled  instantly. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  two  boats  were  launched  and  were  soon 
speeding  towards  the  floating  projectile  as  fast  as  strong  arms  could 
pull  them. 


no  IF  THREE  MEN  WENT  TO  THE  MOON. 


151 


When  the  first  boat  reached  the  great  hollow  iron  cannon-shot  they 
SciW  that  one  of  its  windows,  which  was  some  distance  above  the 
water,  was  open. 

Two  of  the  boat's  crew  stood  up  and  looked  in. 

Our  three  moon-travelers  were  quietly  sitting  inside  playing  dominoes! 


TWO  OF  THE  CREW  LOOK  IN. 


The  great  depth  of  the  ocean  had  broken  their  fall,  and  they  were 
all  safe  and  uninjured.  They  knew  some  one  would  come  for  them, 
and  they  were  making  themselves  as  comfortable  as  they  could. 


15- 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


Of  course  they  were  speedily  taken  out  of  their  iron  house,  in  which 
they  had  lived  for  nearly  a  month,  and  in  which  they  had  met  with 
such  strange  adventures  and  such  narrow  escapes. 

Then  with  our  three  friends  on  board,  the  steamer  started  back  for 
San  Francisco,  where  our  adventurers  were  received  with  the  wildest 
enthusiasm,  which  indeed  attended  them  during  all  their  journey  to 
their  homes  in  the  Atlantic  States. 

And  so  ended  this  trip  to  the  moon. 

It  was  a  very  wonderful  thing  for  any  one  to  even  imagine  such  a 
journey  as  this,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  any  one  but  a  Frenchman 
would  have  imagined  it. 


TARTAR  HORSES  AND  HORSEMEN.  153 


TARTAR  HORSES  AND  HORSEMEN. 

The  people  of  Toorkistan,  or  Independent  Tartary,  are  splendid 
riders.  They  have  fine  horses,  of  which  they  take  the  greatest  care. 
But  their  way  of  taking  care  of  horses  is  very  different  from  ours. 

The  saddles  are  never  taken  off,  night  or  day  ;  and  many  Tartars 
will  not  allow  their  horses  to  lie  down  at  all  because  they  say  the 
corn  settles  in  their  legs,  and  makes  them  lame  !  They  are  walked 
about  a  great  part  of  the  time  they  are  not  on  the  road,  sometimes 
for  four  or  five  hours  alter  coming  in.  At  the  beginning  of  the  day's 
march  they  are  allowed  a  full  drink  of  water,  but  none  during  the  day, 
while  the  sun  is  hot.  On  first  coming  in  from  a  journey,  they  are 
walked  up  and  down  a  long  time,  after  which  without  being  unsaddled, 
the  bit  is  taken  out,  and  they  are  tied  up,  and  covered  from  head  to 
tail  with  thick  horse  cloths,  even  in  hot  weather.  Then  they  are  fed 
with  barley,  and  Indian  corn,  and  a  very  little  grass. 

We  would  think  it  cruel  to  keep  a  horse  saddled  and  tied  up  in  this 
way,  but  the  Tartar  horses  seem  to  thrive  on  this  treatment.  Their 
saddles  are  more  comfortable  for  the  horse  than  ours,  being  well 
raised  above  the  back  bone.  These  saddles  are  of  wood,  with  a  high 
peak  in  front ;  and  the  rich  Tartars  cover  them  with  embroidered 
cloths,  and  silver  mountings. 

The  horses  are  kept  beautifully  clean,  and  their  coats  are  as  smooth 
and  glossy  as  satin.  In  order  to  test  whether  his  horse  has  been  pro- 
perly groomed,  the  owner  will  wet  the  white  sleeve  of  his  shirt,  and 
rub  it  upon  the  horse's  coat.  If  there  is  not  the  least  mark  on  the 
sleeve  he  is  satisfied. 

The  Tartars  hunt  birds  on  horseback,  with  great  success.  In  the 
case  of  partridges  they  gallop  after  the  birds  until  they  run  them  down, 
and  tire  them  out,  when  they  can  catch  them  alive. 


«54 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


TARTAR  HORSES  AND  NORSEMEN.  155 

They  have  several  games  which  they  play  on  horseback.  In  one  of 
them  the  riders  all  try  to  get  possession  of  each  other's  turbans !  This 
seems  rather  childish,  but  it  is  no  child's  sport  to  accomplish  this,  and 
the  players  perform  most  surprising  feats  of  horsemanship. 

They  also  have  wrestling  matches  on  horseback,  trying  to  dislodge 
one  another  from  the  saddle,  while  the  horses  are  galloping  furiously 
and  jumping  ditches. 

I  suppose  it  would  be  almost  an  impossibility  for  a  horse  to  throw 
a  Tartar  rider. 


[56  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


TWO   HAPPY  MEN. 

When  we  have  our  minds  set  upon  some  pursuit  in  which  we  are 
resolved  to  excel,  we  are  likely  to  forget  any  little  disagreeable  thing 
that  troubles  us  at  other  times,  and  we  are  happy  in  our  work.  What 
pleasure  a  boy  takes  in  fashioning  his  kite  !  What  delight  is  it  to  a 
girl  to  put  together  ends  of  silks,  ribbons  and  laces  into  a  pretty  bon- 
net for  her  doll !  There  is  even  pleasure  in  learning  a  Latin  lesson, 
or  in  working  out  a  difficult  problem  when  we  are  interested,  and  are 
determined  to  do  it  well.  The  reason  why  so  many  grown  persons 
are  unhappy  is  because  they  have  no  occupation  at  all,  or  because 
they  are  engaged  in  some  business  which  they  do  not  like. 

The  best  cure  for  this  is  to  take  up  some  business,  and  make  up 
your  mind  you  will  like  it,  and  try  to  do  your  very  best. 

When  a  man's  business  is  in  any  branch  of  what  we  call  Art  he  is, 
perhaps,  happier  than  he  could  be  at  anything  else ;  for,  besides  the 
satisfaction  of  doing  the  work,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  beautiful  things 
grow  under  our  hands. 

I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  two  very  happy  men,  who  both  lived 
in  the  same  place — a  small  city  in  Peru.  One  was  an  artist,  who 
spent  all  his  time  painting  pictures.  Let  me  introduce  you  into  his 
home,  that  you  may  see  in  what  kind  of  place  this  happy  mortal  passed 
his  days. 

The  room  in  which  he  painted — his  studio — was  below  the  level  of 
the  ground.  To  reach  it  from  the  street  you  went  down  three  broken 
stone  steps.  Pretty  much  all  the  light  the  artist  had  came  from  the 
ever-open  doorway.  The  floor  was  covered  with  straw,  and  scraps 
of  vegetables,  among  which  chickens  and  guinea-pigs  picked  up  a  living. 
His  two  best  friends,  a  d-"^  and  a  cat,  usually  shared  the  room  with 


TH^O  HAPPY  MEN. 


157 


158  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

him.  The  cat  had  lost  its  ears  and  its  tail,  but  was  not  the  less  liked 
by  her  master  on  that  account.  She  was  very  fond  of  getting  on  his 
shoulder  as  he  bent  over  his  work,  and  sometimes  would  take  a  quite 
comfortable  nap  there. 

Certainly  it  was  not  a  beautiful  home  that  made  the  artist  happy. 

He  had  the  misfortune  to  be  married  to  a  woman  who  would  have 
made  most  men  miserable.  She  scolded  from  mornino-  to  nio^ht.  The 
artist  never  could  please  her.  No  matter  what  he  did,  it  was  sure  to 
be  wrong  in  her  eyes.  She  would  stop  while  stirring  the  pot,  and  rail 
at  him,  shaking  her  greasy  spoon  to  give  emphasis  to  what  she  was 
saying.  But  the  artist  answered  her  never  a  word.  He  was  so  ab- 
sorbed in  his  work  that  it  is  probable  he  did  not  hear  her,  half  the  time. 

And  so  it  was  not  pleasant  companionship,  and  loving  words  that 
made  him  happy. 

He  could  not  even  procure  the  proper  materials  for  the  work  he 
loved  so  much.  There  were  no  shops  in  all  that  region  where  such 
things  were  sold.  In  our  cities  there  are  shops  in  which  an  artist  can 
buy  everything  he  needs.  But  our  happy  man  could  only  pick  up  a 
few  colors  from  the  apothecary — the  others  he  got  himself  from  earths 
and  stones  he  found  among  the  mountains.  From  the  grocer  he  ob- 
tained oil.  The  smoke  of  his  candle  furnished  him  with  black,  and 
his  brushes  he  manufactured  himself  from  the  hair  of  the  dogs  killed 
in  the  city.  Instead  of  canvas  he  used  white  cotton  cloth,  which  he  pre- 
pared in  some  sort  of  fashion  ;  and  then  stretched,  and  tacked  to  a  board. 

With  these  materials,  and  under  such  disaavantages  did  our  artist 
work.  And  he  painted  very  good  pictures  too.  Some  of  them  were 
taken  to  Europe,  and  to  the  United  States,  and  sold  for  twenty  times 
more  than  was  paid  to  our  artist  for  them.  But  he  did  not  know  this; 
and  the  small  sums  he  received  sufficed  for  his  simple  wants. 

He  was  always  happy  because  his  painting  was  to  him  a  perpetual 
delight.     His  business  was  his  pleasure. 


TIFO  HAPPY  MEN. 


159 


THE  SCULPTOR   AT   WORK. 


x6o  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

The  other  happy  man  was  also  an  artist.  He  was  a  sculptor.  His 
statues  were  very  singular-looking ;  and  to  our  eyes,  very  ugly.  But 
the  people  in  that  Peruvian  town  admired  them  greatly,  and  the 
sculptor  himself  thought  them  beautiful,  and  so  it  was  all  the  same,  as 
far  as  he  was  concerned,  as  if  they  really  had  been  beautiful. 

Clothed  in  rags  and  tatters,  he  worked  faithfully  in  his  studio, 
piecing  together  legs,  and  arms,  and  bodies,  and  heads,  until  he  had  an 
image  of  a  man,  woman,  or  child,  that  satisfied  him.  His  room  was  a 
little  better  than  the  painter's,  but  the  walls  were  of  rough  stone  ;  and, 
as  for  furniture,  he  would  have  laughed  at  the  idea  of  having  any. 

He  had  such  strongly  marked  Indian  features  that  his  face  was  not 
pleasant  at  first  sight,  but  he  was  always  in  such  a  good  humor  that 
one  soon  forgot  he  was  not  handsome. 

This  sculptor  worked  in  plaster.  He  moulded  different  parts  of  the 
body,  and  hung  them  up  on  his  walls.  The  legs,  arms,  &c.  were  pro- 
vided with  wooden  pegs,  so  that  they  could  be  properly  fastened  to- 
gether. When  he  wanted  to  make  an  image  he  would  take  down  the 
different  members  he  required,  and  put  them  together.  If  they  did 
not  fit  properly  he  would  cut  out  blocks  of  plaster,  and  patch  them  up. 

These  statues  were  all  colored,  and  the  sculptor  had  as  much  dififi- 
culty  in  getting  his  colors  as  the  painter,  only  he  did  not  require  so 
many. 

One  of  the  queer  things  about  his  statues  was  that  they  all  had  glass 
eyes !  And  this  is  the  way  he  made  them.  He  put  fragments  of 
window  glass,  cut  in  the  shape  of  eyes,  into  a  frying  pan  pierced  with 
holes  about  an  inch  in  diameter.  As  soon  as  the  heat  softened  the 
glass  sufficiently  he  would  press  the  pieces  down  into  the  holes  with  a 
metal  stick,  and  thus  they  would  be  rounded  like  eyes. 

He  procured  his  tools  how  and  where  he  could.  Old  nails,  old 
brushes,  worn-out  knife  blades,  and  even  sheep  bones,  furnished  him 
materials. 


TIVO  HAPP  Y  MEN.  1 6 1 


But  he  took  great  pleasure  in  making  these  images  that  he  thought 
so  lovely,  and  which  charmed  his  neighbors.  And,  occupied  in  this  fas- 
cinating business,  he  had  no  time  to  think  of  his  poverty,  and  troubles. 
He  v/as  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long. 


l62 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE. 

The  people  who  used  to  live  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe  were 
not  very  pleasant  people,  if  we  are  to  believe  all  the  blood-thirsty 
stories  we  have  heard  about  them,  but  they  had  a  religion,  although 

it  was  rather  a  queer 
one.  There  is  one  thing, 
however,  to  be  said  of 
their  gods  and  goddess- 
es, which  is  very  much 
in  their  favor.  They 
were  generally  honest, 
and  tolerably  strong- 
minded,  which  is  much 
more  than  we  can  say 
about  some  of  the  gods 
of  ancient  Greece  and 
Rome.  Mercury,  you 
know,  was  a  great  thief, 
and  even  Jupiter  was 
none  too  good. 

The  Scandinavians  be- 
lieved that  Ymer  was 
the  very  first  god  of  all, 
and  he  made  his  ap- 
pearance in  the  fol- 
lowing manner.  Be- 
fore the  world  was  cre- 
ated heavy  mists  filled 
all  the  dark  space.  This 
space    must  have  been 

THE   GOD    YMER. 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE.  163 

have  been  very  cold,  for  the  frosty  air  condensed  the  mists,  and  out  of 
this  compressed  fog,  the  god  Ymer  came  into  existence. 

But  his  brain  does  not  seem  to  have  been  at  all  foggy ;  for,  after  a 
short  time,  becoming  tired  of  being  alone,  he  set  his  wits  to  work  to 
find  out  how  he  could  have  the  company  of  other  beings  like  himself. 
He  made  a  very  good  guess  as  to  how  he  had  taken  shape ;  and, 
gathering  the  mists  around  him  into  foggy  masses,  he  shaped  them 
into  forms  like  his  own  ;  and  then  waited  to  see  what  would  happen. 
Soon  the  cold  winds  came  and  congealed  the  mists,  and  behold !  a 
number  of  gigantic  companions  for  the  lonely  god !  He  took  good 
care,  however,  to  make  them  smaller  than  himself;  for,  although  they 
were  twice  the  height  of  the  tallest  mountains  on  our  earth,  yet  Ymer 
himself,  when  he  laid  down  (if  he  ever  did  lie  down)  required  about 
half  the  world  for  his  bed. 

Ymer  was  so  much  pleased  with  his  success  that  he  concluded  he 
would  make  some  more  things  out  of  the  mists.  He  spread  some  of 
it  out  in  great  smooth  surfaces,  some  he  collected  in  small  piles,  and 
some  he  heaped  up  in  great  masses  of  many  curious  shapes.  And 
that  is  the  way  the  valleys,  mountains,  and  hills  were  created. 

The  foggy  material  that  was  left  fell  down  to  an  immense  depth, 
and  became  the  ocean. 

Ymer  made  nothing  more,  for  he  did  not  know  how  to  work  in  any- 
thing  but  mists,  and  they  were  all  gone. 

What  he  and  his  companions  did  in  the  way  of  employment  or 
amusement  I  cannot  say.  Let  us  hope  they  took  comfort  in  striding 
around  the  world — a  walk  of  an  hour  or  so — and  in  talking  with  each 
other.  They  could  not  see  anything  except  by  occasional  gleams  of 
lightning,  for  there  was  no  light  anywhere. 

Monstrous  creatures,  such  as  dragons,  hydras,  griflfins,  and  the  like, 
now  made  their  appearance  in  the  world,  but  there  is  no  account  of 
their  creation,  and  they  must  have  come  of  their  own  accord. 


1 64  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

One  day  a  marvelous  thing  happened.  Ymer  and  his  giants  saw  a 
pink  flush  spreading  over  the  black  sky.  This  grew  brighter,  and 
brighter,  until  the  whole  firmament  was  a  brilliant  flame  color.  And, 
while  they  were  wondering  what  this  could  mean,  whizz !  came  in 
sight  a  great  ball  of  fire !  This  was  nothing  less  than  a  new  god, 
named  Odin.  Where  he  came  from  nobody  knew,  but  there  he  was. 
He  descended  upon  the  mountains,  and  took  possession  of  Ymer's 
world. 

He  brought  with  him  the  Sun,  the  Moon,  and  the  Stars.  He  told 
the  Sun  to  light  up  the  world,  and  to  warm  up  things  generally,  and 
to  be  sure  to  melt  the  ice  that  covered  a  great  part  of  the  earth.  The 
Moon  and  the  Stars  were  to  take  care  of  the  earth  during  the  night. 

Odin  brought  with  him  also,  a  large  number  of  followers  ;  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  invariable  rule  of  all  discoverers  of  new  countries,  he 
proceeded  to  kill  all  the  original  inhabitants ;  beginning  with  great 
Ymer  himself,  and  ending  with  the  land  and  sea  monsters.  That  is, 
he  intended  to  kill  them  all,  and  he  thought  he  had.  But  one  of  the 
giants  escaped,  and  also  a  wolf,  named  Fenris  (a  terrible  creature  that 
made  nothing  of  crushing  a  mountain  with  his  teeth).  And  the  great 
sea-serpent  lormungandur  was  not  slain. 

The  warmth  of  the  sun  soon  called  into  lite  the  grasses,  the  flowers, 
and  the  trees ;  springs  welled  up  in  the  woods ;  and  brooks  and 
rivers  flowed  through  the  plains  to  the  sea ;  and  a  great  variety  of 
animals  took  possession  of  the  world,  now  so  beautiful. 

Odin  was  charmed  with  all  this,  but  not  quite  satisfied.  He  wanted 
some  beings  on  the  earth  that  should  be  less  than  gods,  and  yet  of  a 
finer  intelligence  than  the  beasts.  Thinking  about  this  one  day,  as  he 
walked  by  the  sea-shore,  his  eyes  chanced  to  fall  upon  a  large  branch 
that  had  blown  off  a  tree  into  the  water.  This  put  a  bright  idea  into 
his  mind.  He  drew  the  wood  towards  him ;  and,  splitting  it  in  two. 
made  a  man  and  a  woman  out  of  the  two  parts.     From  this  couple, 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE. 


i6^ 


according  to  the  Scandinavian  legends,  all  the  people  in  die  world  are 
descended. 

People  increased  so  fast,  and  were  so  rude  and  savage,  and  quar- 
relled and  fought  so  much,  that  Odin  found  he  had  his  hands  too  full 
of  business,  and  he  thought  it  was  about  time  for  his  lazy  followers  to 
help  him.     So  he  set  them  all  to  work. 

Forseti  was  to  make  peace  among  men.  Vali  was  to  teach  them 
the  use  of  the  bow,  not  for  the  purpose  of  killing  each  other,  but  for 
slaughtering  game  for  food.  Uller  was  to  teach  skating.  The  god- 
dess Gefione  taught  men  to  labor,  and  how  to  break  up  the  earth  for 
seed,  and  to  raise  crops.  I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  she  was 
one  of  the  very  best  of  all  the  Scandinavian  gods,  and  goddesses. 


THE  GOD  EGIR. 

Egir  was  a  very  important  god.     He  showed  men  how  to  build 


1 66  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

ships,  and  how  to  manage  the  sails,  and  the  rudder.  And  not  only 
did  he  do  this,  but,  he  very  obligingly,  blew  the  vessels  along  with  his 
powerful  breath,  so  that  men  were  not  afraid  to  trust  themselves  on 
the  rivers  in  these  frail-looking  crafts,  but  even  boldly  launched  out 
upon  the  ocean. 

Widar  taught  people  a  most  excellent  thing — when  to  hold  their 
tongues.  This  he  did  by  his  example,  for  he  was  dumb,  and  could  not 
talk  at  all. 

Balder  was  called  the  Bright  God.  He  was  the  most  beloved  of 
them  all.  He  put  good  thoughts  into  the  hearts  of  men,  and  en- 
couraged them  to  be  loving  and  patient  with  each  other.  A  beautiful 
silvery  light  always  shone  around  him. 

Now,  where  do  you  suppose  all  these  gods  lived  ?  You  would  pro- 
bably answer  that  they  dwelt  up  in  the  sky,  or  on  the  tops  of  high 
mountains.     No.     They  lived  in  an  ash  tree  ! 

This  wonderful  tree  bore  the  name  of  Ygdrasil.  Its  branches  over- 
shadowed the  whole  world ;  its  top  supported  the  sky,  and  its  roots 
went  so  far  down  that  no  one  could  find  the  end.  This  tree  was  the 
home  of  Odin  and  his  gods,  and  there  they  stayed,  except  when  busi- 
ness called  them  elsewhere. 

This  is  the  way  the  gods  found  out  what  was  going  on  in  the  world, 
while  they  were  having  a  good  time  in  Ygdrasil.  Two  ravens  were 
always  flying  to  and  fro  through  the  Universe,  and,  once  a  day,  they 
would  perch  on  Odin's  shoulders  and  tell  him  the  news.  A  little 
squirrel  darted  swiftly  up  and  down  the  tree,  and  picked  up  all  the 
scraps  of  gossip  it  could.  Near  the  top  of  the  tree  a  great  eagle  kept 
perpetual  watch,  and  on  the  very  topmost  branch  perched  a  vulture  ; 
and  these  birds,  which  could  see  to  the  horizon  on  every  side  cried 
out,  and  flapped  their  wings  when  any  strange  thing  happened. 

Besides  all  these  there  was  the  watch-god,  Heimdall.  His  sight 
and  hearing  were  marvelous.     He  could  hear  the  grass  grow  in  the 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE. 


[67 


fields,  and  hear  the  wool  grow  on  the  backs  of  the  sheep.  He  could 
not  only  watch  a  fly  from  the  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other,  but 
could  count  the  spots  on  its  wings,  and  the  joints  in  its  little  legs,  if  it 
was  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  universe  from  himself.  He  could  see 
the  smallest  atom  that  moved  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  And,  what 
was  the  most  astonishing  of  all,  he  could  see  in  the  darkest  night  as 
well  as  in  the  brightest  day. 

It  is  a  pity  this  god  is  not  living  now,  for  he  could  describe  to  us 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  tell  us  if  there  is  an  open  sea  at  the 
North  Pole,  and  an  icy  continent  at  .the  South  Pole,  and  a  great  many 
things  we  want  very  much  to  know,  and  have  not  been  able  to  find  out. 


THE   YOUNG  GOD  JARL. 

This  Heimdall  had  golden  teeth.  He  had  also  a  son,  named  Jarl, 
who  was  a  very  famous  god.  When  he  was  only  a  child  he  could 
give  heavy  blows  with  a  great  club,  and  swim  like  a  fish,  and  ride  on 
horseback  as  swiftly  as  the  wind.  And  he  understood  the  language 
of  birds  and  beasts,  and  could  converse  with  them. 


1 68  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

There  were  some  very  queer  things  about  these  gods.  We  might 
suppose  these  powerful  beings  would  be  perfecdy  formed,  but  they 
were  not.  Heimdall,  as  we  have  seen,  had  false  teeth ;  Tyr  liad  but 
one  hand ;  Widar  was  dumb ;  Hoder  was  blind ;  and  the  great  Odin 
himself  had  but  one  eye.  And  it  seems,  too,  that  they  did  not  know 
everything  there  was  to  be  known,  as  the  following  story  will  show 
you. 

There  lived  in  the  world,  In  those  days,  a  very  wise  man,  named 
Kvasir.  He  noticed  how  much  trouble  men  had  in  expressing  their 
thoughts  in  any  way  but  speech.  If  one  wanted  to  send  a  message  to 
another  he  could  only  make  a  rude  drawing  on  a  piece  of  stone  to 
represent  what  he  wanted  to  say,  or  paint  it  in  certain  colors  that 
stood  for  certain  things.  There  was  not  much  of  this  done,  for  not 
only  was  this  process  troublesome,  but  it  was  easy  to  misunderstand 
these  messages  ;  and  they  caused  a  great  deal  of  confusion,  and  many 
quarrels,  and  much  fighting.  Kvasir  wanted  to  remedy  this ;  and, 
after  a  great  deal  of  hard  study,  and  many  experiments  he  invented 
the  art  of  writing.  He  also  invented  poetry.  He  called  his  verses 
runes,  and  he  wrote  them  on  beech  bark,  which  he  made  into  tablets. 

The  gods  had  never  thought  of  doing  anything  like  this. 

There  is  no  knowing  how  much  Kvasir  would  have  done  if  he  had 
lived  longer.  Perhaps  he  would  have  invented  printing  and  paper ; 
which,  as  matters  turned  out,  nobody  thought  of  doing  until  many 
hundred  years  later. 

But  this  wise  and  good  man  was  killed  by  two  wicked  dwarfs. 
They  did  this  in  order  to  steal  from  him  this  treasure  of  poetry,  and 
the  art  of  writing.  You  may  wonder  how  they  were  going  to  get  at 
the  treasure,  for,  after  they  had  killed  hixn,  there  could  be  no  more 
poetry ;  and  they  could  not  pick  it  out  of  his  brain  as  a  thief  takes  a 
pocket-book  out  of  the  pocket.  But  these  dwarfs  were  magicians, 
and  such  people,  you  know,  have  a  pretty  good  idea  what  they  are 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE. 


:69 


about.  They  collected  his  blood,  and  mixed  it  with  honey  in  three 
separate  proportions.  These  they  put  into  three  jars  which  they 
closely  sealed,  and  buried  in  a  cave  which  had  never  been  seen  either 
by  gods  or  men. 

These  three  compounds  were  Logic,  Eloquence,  and  Poetry.  We 
shall  never  know  what  the  dwarfs  were  going  to  do  with  them,  for  I 
am  happy  to  say  that  they  were  not  allowed  to  keep  them. 

Odin's  two  ravens  had  witnessed  the  whole  performance  of  the 
dwarfs,  and  the  sensible  birds  concluded  this  must  be  a  great  treasure, 
or  it  would  not  be  worth  so  much  trouble.  So  they  flew  straight  to 
Odin,  and  told  him  all  about  it.     Odin  sent  the  squirrel  up  the  tree 


THE  THREE  PRECIOUS  JARS. 


I70  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL, 

Ygdrasil  with  an  order  for  the  eagle  to  leave  his  post,  to  fly  to  the 
cave,  and  to  bring  the  jars  to  him. 

This  the  eagle  accomplished  in  a  very  short  space  of  time,  and  Odin 
immediately  opened  each  jar,  and  tasted  the  contents.  He  at  once 
commenced  reasoning  eloquently  in  the  most  ravishing  strains  of 
poetry.  His  daughter  Saga,  and  his  son  Bragi,  were  with  their  father; 
and,  seeing  how  he  enjoyed  these  new  dishes,  they  wanted  some  too. 
Odio  politely  offered  the  first  jar  to  Saga,  but  it  probably  did  not  taste 
pleasantly,  as  she  declined  to  do  more  than  just  touch  its  contents  to 
her  lips.  But  Bragi  drank  up  all  his  father  had  left,  and  immediately 
began  to  sing  a  magnificent  chant.  From  that  time  he  was  called  the 
god  of  poetry. 

Bragi  was  not  stingy  with  his  treasure,  but  gave  some  of  it  to  men, 
and  thus  the  invention  of  the  good  Kvasir  was  used  as  he  would  have 
used  it  had  he  lived  ;  and  men  learned  to  write,  and  to  sing. 

The  greatest  of  the  gods,  next  to  Odin,  was  his  son  Thor.  He 
was  the  god  of  tempests.  He  held  thunderbolts  shut  up  in  his  fists, 
and  flung  lightning  from  his  fingers'  ends.  He  had  a  mighty  hammer 
with  which  he  reconstructed  the  world  after  Ymer  had  been  killed. 
He  splintered  up  the  mountains,  and  made  them  all  over  again,  and 
he  knocked  away  at  the  crust  of  the  earth,  and  made  valleys  and 
caves,  and  sometimes  he  amused  himself  by  splitting  open  the  earth, 
and  tumbling  a  mountain  or  two  into  the  abyss.  And  that  was  the 
way  earthquakes  came  about.  He  made  holes  in  some  cf  the  moun- 
tains, and  let  the  imprisoned  fire  out  of  them. 

Odin  gave  Thor  three  wonderful  gifts.  The  first  was  his  great 
hammer.  It  would  go  out  of  his  hand  to  do  his  bidding,  and  then  re- 
turn of  its  own  accord.  The  second  was  a  pair  of  iron  gloves.  He 
had  only  to  put  these  on,  and  his  spear  would  come  back  into  his 
hand  after  having  destroyed  his  victim.  The  third  was  a  war  belt, 
which  made  him  stronger  than  any  other  being  while  he  wore  it. 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE. 


171 


It  is  no  great  wonder  that  with  all  these  things  to  help  him  Thor 
succeeded  in  killing  off  Ymer,  and  his  race  of  giants,  for  he  did  most 
of  this  work. 


THE  GOD  THOR. 

But,  you  remember,  in  the  account  given  of  the  destruction  of  the 
giants,  and  the  land  and  sea  monsters,  that  one  giant  escaped,  and  the 
wolf  Fenris,  and  the  great  sea-serpent,  lormungandur.     And,  by  these 


172  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

three,  after  a  great  number  of  years,  Odin  and  his  gods  came  to 
grief. 

The  gods  all  understood  that  their  fates  depended  upon  the  god  of 
love,  the  bright  and  beautiful  Balder.  If  he  died  they  must  die. 
Think  then  how  troubled  they  must  have  been,  when,  one  day,  they 
heard  a  great  cry  ringing  through  the  earth,  and  up  to  the  very  top 
of  the  ash  tree,  where  was  placed  their  highest  heaven,  called  Walhalla. 
This  piercing  cry  was  :  "  Balder,  fair  Balder  is  going  to  die  !"  They 
had  never  thought  before  that  their  beloved  Balder  could  die,  but  now 
they  were  sore  afraid,  not  only  for  him,  but  for  themselves.  They 
were  told  by  some  wise  woman  that  Balder  would  surely  die  unless 
all  substances  that  could  inflict  death  were  made  powerless.  Upon 
hearing  this  his  mother,  Frigg,  travelled  over  the  whole  world,  and 
asked  the  rocks,  and  the  pebbles,  frost  and  rain,  and  wood  and  iron  ; 
everything,  in  short,  to  spare  her  son.  And  they  all  promised  not  to 
hurt  him. 

There  was  great  joy  among  the  gods  when  Frigg  returned  with 
this  good  news.  So  Balder  was  not  to  die,  after  all.  And  there  was 
a  great  feast  held  in  Walhalla  to  celebrate  the  glad  tiding.  In  the 
midst  of  the  merriment  it  was  proposed  to  try  some  of  these  things 
that  had  promised  not  to  hurt  Balder,  to  see  how  they  would  avoid  in- 
juring him.  One  of  the  gods  threw  a  clod  of  earth  at  Balder,  and  it 
broke  into  a  cloud  of  dust  before  it  reached  him.  Another  poured  a 
pitcher  of  water  over  him,  and  the  water  formed  a  cascade  over  him 
without  wetting  his  clothes.  Then  they  tried  more  dangerous  weap- 
ons ;  a  rock  ;  a  club  ;  a  svvord ;  and  Vali  shot  an  arrow  at  him.  All 
passed  by  him,  or  fell  harmless.  Even  Thor's  mighty  hammer  re- 
fused to  hit  Balder. 

At  last  a  brother  of  Balder's  approached,  holding  in  his  hand  a 
small  bunch  of  leaves.  All  laughed  at  the  sight  of  this  harmless 
weapon.     But  alas !  when  the  leaves  struck  Balder's  breast  he  fell, 


THE   WONDERFUL  ASH  TREE.  173 

and  died  instantly.  They  were  mistletoe  leaves,  and  when  Frigg  had 
asked  the  oak  tree  to  spare  her  son,  she  forgot  to  ask  the  mistletoe, 
which  grows  upon  the  oak.  So  the  mistletoe  had  given  no  promise ; 
and  now  Balder  was  dead.  The  brother  who  had  thrown  the  leaves 
was  greatly  distressed,  and  all  Walhalla  was  filled  with  mourning. 

Balder  being  dead,  the  other  gods  must  die.  The  giant,  who  had 
escaped  Thor's  hammer,  killed  some  of  them,  and  others  died  in 
various  ways.  Finally  Thor  was  killed  by  the  sea-serpent ;  and  the 
great  Odin  was  torn  in  pieces  by  the  wolf  Fenris. 

And  that  was  the  end  of  the  Scandinavian  gods. 

Then  the  Druid  priests  brought  their  religion  into  the  country ; 
and,  after  many  years,  the  Romans  came,  and  taught  the  Scandinavi- 
ans the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 


174  TALES  OUT  OF  SCBOu. 


WORK  AND  WATER. 

It  is  so  easy  for  most  of  us  to  get  a  drink  of  water  when  we  feel 
thirsty,  that  we  are  not  apt  to  even  think  of  the  vast  amount  of 
thought  and  labor  and  money  that  is  necessary  in  many  parts  of  every 
country  in  the  world  in  order  to  give  people  a  glass  or  a  cup  of  water 
when  they  want  it. 

And  yet  water  is  often  a  very  costly  thing,  so  much  so  indeed  that 
there  are  lands  where  people,  and  civilized  people  too,  cannot  afford  a 
drink  of  it  every  time  they  feel  thirsty. 

If  we  live  in  the  country  we  go  to  our  well,  or  our  spring,  or  our 
pump  from  the  cistern,  and  we  get  all  the  water  we  want.  If  we  live 
in  the  city  we  have  our  hydrants,  and  perhaps  have  the  water  carried 
to  every  floor  of  the  house.  This  is  because  we  are  Americans,  and, 
as  a  nation,  we  believe  that  we  cannot  spend  too  much  money  in 
making  ourselves  comfortable,  and  having  things  convenient  around  us. 

We  build  great  reservoirs  and  conduct  into  them  the  pure  water 
from  the  streams,  often  far  distant  from  our  cities,  and  we  have  pipes 
running  through  every  street,  and  into  every  house,  so  that  even  the 
poorest  people  can  always  have  plenty  of  water,  no  matter  what  else 
they  may  have  to  go  without. 

But  in  many  countries  that  were  civilized  and  enlightened  long  be- 
fore America  was  ever  thought  of,  there  are  to-day  no  such  conveni- 
ences for  obtaining  a  drink  of  water. 

In  some  places  in  Europe  water  is  carried  about  from  house  to 
house,  as  the  milk-man  brings  us  milk,  and  some  of  the  plans  of  carry- 
ing it  are  very  curious. 

In  parts  of  Holland  where  the  canals  serve  as  roads,  there  are 
water-boats,  that  go  up  and  down  the  canals  serving  water  to  every- 
one who  wishes  to  buy  it,  and  has  money  to  pay  for  it.     And  some- 


WORK  AND  WATER. 


175 


times  it  is  pretty  stale 
water  when  the  last 
families  get  their  sup- 
ply. But  people  who 
are  not  used  to  Cro- 
ton  water,  or  Schuyl- 
kill, or  Cochituate  wa- 
ter do  not  seem  to 
care  much  for  this. 
They  are  glad  enough 
to  get  water  at  all. 

In  other  parts  of 
Europe,  and  in  this 
continent  too,  the  wa- 
ter is  carried  about 
by  men  and  women. 

in  the  opposite 
picture  you  may  see 
how  some  of  these 
water-carriers  supply 
their  customers. 

In  Malaga  a  jaun- 
t}^  Spaniard  with  a 
cigar  in  his  mouth,  and 
two  jars  of  water 
hanging  from  his 
shoulders  and  arms, 
walks  up  and  down 
the  streets  selling  the 
precious  fluid  at  so 
much  a  quart  or  a  pint 


WATER  CARRrERS. 


1.  Water  Carrier  of  Malaga. 

2.  Pongo. 

3.  Water  Carrier  of  Mexico. 


4.  Water  Carrier  of  OuaymM. 

5.  French  Water  Carrier. 

6.  Arabian  Woman  at  the  Fountalo. 


VARIOUS  METHODS  OF  CARRYING  WATER. 


176  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL, 

In  Pongo  the  water  is  conveyed  in  a  great  leathern  jar  on  the  back 
ol  a  stout,  bare-legged  fellow  who  carries  a  long  funnel,  so  that  he  can 
pour  the  water  into  the  pitcher  and  pails  without  taking  his  jar  from 
his  shoulders. 

In  parts  of  Mexico  the  jars  are  fastened  to  broad  straps  which  pass 
around  the  water-carrier's  head,  while  in  Guaymas,  the  carrier  has 
no  load  at  all  himself,  but  puts  two  great  skins  of  water  on  the  back 
of  a  little  donkey. 

The  French  water-carrier  has  a  stick  on  his  shoulders  with  a  pail  of 
water  on  each  end ;  and  when  one  shoulder  is  tired  he  can  shift  his 
load  to  the  other,  which  is,  perhaps,  the  next  best  thing  to  having  a 
donkey. 

But  the  water-carriers  of  Arabia  and  Egypt,  who  very  often  are 
"^romen,  are  the  most  graceful  and  in  some  respects  the  most  sensible 
of  all.     They  carry  their  jar  of  water  on  their  heads. 

As  this  makes  it  necessary  for  them  to  keep  themselves  very  erect, 
It  gives  them  fine,  straight  figures,  and  a  graceful  walk.  The  disad- 
vantage of  their  plan  is  that  they  cannot  carry  very  much  water  at  a 
time. 

Carrying  water  on  the  head  reminds  me  of  a  little  negro  girl  I  once 
saw  in  the  South.  This  girl  had  been  to  a  spring  to  get  a  pail  of 
water.  The  pail  was  so  large  and  the  girl  was  so  small  that  she  had 
a  hard  time  of  it  as  she  staggered  along,  holding  the  handle  of  the 
pail  with  both  hands,  and  with  the  greatest  difficulty  keeping  it  from 
touching  the  ground. 

I  pitied  the  poor  little  creature,  for  her  load  was  a  great  deal  too 
heavy  for  her. 

But  at  length  she  reached  a  stump  of  a  tree,  and  by  great  efforts 
she  got  the  pail  on  the  top  of  this.  Then  she  stooped  down  and 
managed  to  slide  the  pail  from  the  stump  to  the  crown  of  her  head. 

Then  she  stood  up.     She  was  all  right !     She  seemed  to  forget  that 


WORK  AND  WATEk,  177 


she  had  a  load,  and  skipped  away  as  if  she  had  nothing  heavier  on  her 
head  than  a  spring  bonnet.  She  did  not  go  directly  to  the  house 
where  she  was  to  carry  the  water,  but  trotted  over  to  where  some 
children  were  playing,  and  began  running  around  in  a  perfectly  easy 
and  unconcerned  way,  not  appearing  to  think  at  all  of  her  pail.  But 
she  did  not  spill  a  drop  of  the  water. 

The  Southern  negroes  are  very  dexterous  in  this  matter  of  carrying 
things  on  their  heads. 

On  some  of  the  water-melon  plantations  there  may  sometimes  be 
seen  long  lines  of  men  walking  from  the  fields  to  the  boats  which  are 
to  be  loaded  with  these  melons,  and  each  man  carries  a  water-melon 
under  each  arm  and  one  on  his  head. 

Sometimes  one  of  these  men  will  drop  a  water-melon  from  under 
his  arm,  but  no  one  ever  drops  one  from  his  head. 

Such  a  thing  would  be  considered  a  disgrace. 

I  think  it  is  likely  that  very  few  of  us  would  ever  have  a  pail  of 
water  or  a  water-melon,  if  we  were  obliged  to  carry  either  of  them 
very  far  on  our  heads. 


12 


178  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 

This  is  the  kingdom  of  Siam  in  Southern  Asia.  It  has  this  name 
because  the  white  elephant  is  the  national  emblem,  and  is  represented 
on  the  Siamese  flag,  as  the  eagle  is  on  the  American  flag. 

Siam  is  a  very  pleasant  country  to  live  in,  and  a  good  many  Europe- 
ans have  from  time  to  time  had  their  homes  there,  so  that  the  Siamese, 
who  seem  to  be  a  teachable  people,  have  learned  a  great  deal  from 
them,  and  have  copied  some  of  their  ways.  The  missionaries,  too, 
have  done  very  much  to  improve  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
Siamese.  But  still  they  retain  many  of  their  old  customs,  and  the  re- 
sult is  a  queer  sort  of  mixture — in  some  things  the  people  show  them- 
selves to  be  manly  and  intelligent,  and,  in  others,  they  appear  very 
ignorant,  and  degraded. 

For  instance,  a  fine-looking  Siamese  gentleman  will  be  standing  by 
your  side,  conversing  with  you.  He  is  a  nobleman  of  the  country, 
dressed  in  silk  and  diamonds.  He  will  talk  with  you  about  foreign 
countries,  perhaps  about  books,  and  you  will  be  astonished  at  his  in- 
formation, and  will  regard  him  as  a  very  superior  man  ;  as,  indeed,  he 
is.  But  suddenly,  he  will  go  down  on  his  hands  and  knees,  right  in 
the  dust.  What  has  happened  ?  The  King  has  appeared  upon  the 
scene  !  If  he  wishes  to  speak  to  the  king  this  nobleman  will  crawl  up 
to  him  on  all  fours,  and,  as  long  as  he  is  in  the  king's  presence,  if  it  is 
for  two  or  three  hours,  he  remains  in  this  degrading  position.  The 
king  may  be  a  very  well-informed,  and  a  kind-hearted  man,  but  it  has 
never  occurred  to  him  that  this  old  custom  of  his  country  is  ridiculous 
and  disgraceful. 

The  Siamese  are  very  fond  of  ornament.  On  the  next  page  is  a 
portrait  of  one  of  the  little  princes  of  the  royal  family. 

His  silken  suit  is  covered  with  gold  and  silver  embroidery,  and  with 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


179 


rows  of  precious 
stones.  I  hope  that 
high  pointed  affair  he 
has  upon  his  head  is 
not  very  heavy.  It 
would  be  a  very  in- 
convenient thing  to 
take  off  when  he 
wished  to  make  a 
bow  to  a  lady.  But 
then  he  never  does 
wish  to  make  a  bow 
to  a  lady.  That 
is  a  piece  of  good 
manners  that  no 
Siamese  boy  is  ever 
taught. 

When  this  young 
prince  has  his  meals 
his  attendants  crouch 
before  him  on  their 
hands  and  knees. 
When  he  wishes  any- 
thing they  crawl  to- 
wards him  with  the 
articles.  To  stand 
erect  in  his  presence 
would  be  an  unheard 
of  impropriety. 


A  SIAMESE  PRINCE. 


i8o  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

When  he  goes  out  for  an  airing  he  rides  upon  an  elephant.  Per- 
haps you  think  that  would  not  be  a  very  agreeable  way  of  traveling, 
but  there  you  are  mistaken.  The  motion  of  an  elephant  is  very  easy, 
and  pleasant  to  the  rider;  and  it  is  a  much  more  intelligent  animal 
than  the  horse,  and  quite  as  gentle,  and  docile.  A  little  child  can  lead 
a  well-trained,  tame  elephant.  The  disadvantage  of  this  kind  of  steed 
is  that  when  it  does  take  it  into  its  great  head  to  behave  badly,  it  is 
sometimes  very  difficult  to  control,  for  it  is  exceedingly  strong,  and 
capable  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  mischief.  But  these  trained  elephants 
of  the  Siamese  seldom  get  into  tantrums. 

When  the  young  prince  takes  his  ride  he  has,  at  least,  one  atten- 
dant to  walk  by  the  elephant,  and  keep  things  all  straight.  The 
prince  sits  in  a  little  ornamental  tower  on  the  beast's  back  From  this 
lofty  seat  he  gets  a  good  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 

Near  Ayuthia,  in  Siam,  there  is  a  large  stockade,  into  which  the 
king's  elephants  are  driven  once  a  year,  and  the  finest  ones  are  se- 
lected for  use  during  the  ensuing  year.  This  stockade  is  made  of 
posts  of  teak  wood,  driven  firmly  into  the  ground,  a  few  feet  apart. 
In  the  middle  of  the  enclosure,  thus  made,  is  a  small  tower-like  house, 
built  on  poles,  and  surrounded  by  strong  stakes  In  this  are  the  men 
who  are  to  secure  the  animals  after  they  are  chosen. 

The  king  and  his  nobles  are  on  a  raised  platform  near  the  stockade  ; 
and  they  select  those  of  the  animals  that  have  been  driven  into  the 
enclosure,  that  they  consider  the  most  desirable. 

The  fine  points  in  an  elephant  are  these  :  a  color  approaching  to 
white  or  red,  black  nails  on  the  toes,  and  tails  that  have  not  been  in- 
jured. Elephants  are  so  fond  of  fighting  each  other  that  it  is  a  rare 
thing  to  find  one  in  a  herd  that  has  not  lost  some  portion  of  its  tail 
in  a  battle. 

It  occasionally  happens,  when  a  hunting  party  is  out,  that  a  white 
elephant  is  captured.      This  is  considered  a  very  fortunate  circum- 


THE  LAND  OF  THE   WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


i82  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

stance,  as  the  possession  of  a  white  elephant  by  the  king  is  supposed 
to  bring  prosperity  upon  the  whole  kingdom.  The  fortunate  finder 
of  this  precious  animal  is  received  with  great  honor  upon  his  return 
to  court,  and  is  magnificently  rewarded. 

The  elephant  is  placed  in  a  large  enclosure,  and  treated  with  great 
distinction.  It  is  caparisoned  with  cloth  of  gold  ;  and  is  fed  with  all 
the  dainties  that  elephants  like.  Rings  of  gold  are  placed  on  its  tusks, 
and  a  diadem  on  its  head.  When  it  is  sick  the  court  physician  attends 
it,  the  priests  pray  for  it ;  and  when  it  dies  the  whole  kingdom 
mourns. 

Of  late  years  the  people  of  Siam  have  grown  less  superstitious,  and 
do  not  pay  as  many  honors  to  white  elephants  as  they  did  while  in  an 
entirely  uncivilized  state.  But  they  still  retain  the  white  elephant  on 
their  flag  as  the  emblem  of  their  country. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE.  183 

CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  travel  in  order  to  find  a  great  many  curious 
things  in  vegetable  growth.     They  He  around  us  everywhere. 

We  will  find  a  great  deal  to  surprise  us,  if  we  study  the  habits  of 
the  trees  and  plants  about  us.  Some  have  very  peculiar  methods 
of  growth  ;  some  go  to  sleep,  and  wake  up  at  regular  hours  ;  some 
set  little  traps  for  catching  insects  ;  some  often  change  the  colors  of 
their  fiowers  ;  and  many  other  curious  ways  they  have. 

But  men,  who  travel  in  various  countries,  and  study  the  vegetable 
growth  of  all  climates,  meet  with  very  marvelous  things  indeed.  Let 
us  follow  them  about  the  world  for  awhile.  But  we  will  have  to  travel 
very  swiftly,  and  to  skip  from  one  country  to  another,  and  back  again, 
perhaps,  with  great  haste. 

We  will  first  look  at  some  trees  that  surprise  us  by  their  size. 

On  Mount  Etna,  in  Sicily,  there  is  a  famous  chestnut  tree.  It  stands 
Dn  one  of  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountain,  so  that  it  is  often  visited. 
There  are  quite  a  number  of  huge  chestnut  trees  in  that  neighbor- 
hood, each  of  which  has  a  distinctive  name.  But  the  "  Chestnut  of  a 
Hundred  Horses"  is  much  larger  than  any  of  the  others.  It  is  a  very, 
very  old  tree,  and  the  people  who  now  live  near  it,  are  not  sure  how 
it  first  got  its  name.  Some  say  it  was  named  many  years  ago  by  a 
Spanish  queen  because  its  thick  wide  bra*"  ches  once  sheltered  her  and 
her  party  of  a  hundred  horsemen,  from  the  rain.  Others  say  it  is 
so  called  because  a  hundred  horses  can  be  sheltered  within,  and 
around  it.  It  is  now  the  home  of  a  shepherd,  who  has  built  a  hut  for 
himself,  and  a  fold  for  his  sheep,  within  the  hollow  of  the  tree. 

The  trunk  measures  190  feet  around.  It  looks  as  if  there  were 
several  trees  growing  together,  but  it  is  known  to  be  all  one  tree. 

In  the  centre  of  a  graveyard,  in  the  village  of  Allouville,  in  Norman- 


i84 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 


dy,  there  stands  an  oak  that  is  over  nine-hundred  years  old.  Near 
the  ground  its  trunk  measures  thirty  feet  in  circumference.  Two 
hundred  years  ago  it  was  fitted  up  as  a  Httle  chapel,  and  is  used  for 
that  purpose  to  this  day. 

The  tree  is  hollow,  as  are  all  these  very  old  trees.  The  lower  part 
of  this  hollow  is  lined  with  wood,  carefully  plastered  and  wainscoted. 
This  is  the  chapel.  Above  it,  is  a  second  story,  and  in  this  room  lives 
a  solitary  man — a  hermit.  Above,  in  the  branches,  is  a  belfry,  orna- 
mented with  a  cross. 

In  another  part  of  France,  there  is  an  oak  that  is  known  to  be  fif- 
teen hundred  years  old.  It  also  is  hollow,  but  every  year,  like  the 
Hundred  Horse  Chestnut,  and  the  Allouville  Oak,  it  covers  itself  with 
thick  and  luxuriant  foliage.  The  circumference  of  this  oak  is  over  80 
feet,  and  its  branches  spread  over  a  circumference  of  380  feet. 

The  inside  of  this  tree  is  used  for  a  dining  hall  by  pleasure  parties. 
A  circular  bench  has  been  cut  out  of  the  wood,  and  a  dozen  persons 
can  sit  comfortably  around  the  table.  The  room  has  a  glass  door, 
and  a  window.  Beautiful  ferns  and  mosses  spring  out  of  the  sides  of 
the  tree,  and  decorate  this  hall. 

Not  far  from  Smyrna,  in  Asia  Minor,  there  is  a  very  old,  and  a  very 
large  Plane  tree.  It  has  three  stems  from  one  root.  These  join  into 
one  trunk  at  the  height  of  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  thus 
forming  a  gateway.  The  main  road  runs  right  through  this  gateway, 
and  cavalcades  of  horsemen,  and  camel  riders,  and  vehicles  pass  under 
this  singular  arch. 

There  is  another  Plane  tree  in  the  island  of  Cos,  which  is  almost  as 
well  known  as  that  of  Smyrna.  Its  spreading  branches  cover  the 
whole  of  a  large  square  of  a  city,  and  are  so  heavy  that  the  old  trunk 
is  not  able  to  bear  their  weight.  The  inhabitants  of  the  city,  proud  of 
their  tree,  and  anxious  to  keep  it,  have  built  columns  of  marble  under 
the  branches  to  support  them. 


1»6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 


t8i 


We  have  been  visiting  single  trees  of  different  kinds.  There  is  a 
family  of  trees,  every  member  of  which  attains  a  great  size.  The 
Baobabs  ought  to  be  large,  for  they  require  800  years  to  attain  their 
full  growth.  They  then  measure,  usually,  from  70  to  "j^  feet  in  girth. 
Enormous  branches  spread  out  from  the  central  stem,  each  one  of 
which  is  a  respectable  size  for  a  tree.  So  these  trees  give  a  splendid 
shade,  covering  a  space  of  ground  300  feet  in  circumference.  They  do 
not  grow  very  tall.     These  trees  are  found  chiefly  in  Africa. 

The  Baobabs  remind  us  of  another  marvel  of  the  vegetable  king- 
dom— the  great  age  of  some  trees.  We  have  mentioned  one  900 
years  old,  and  another  1,500.  The  ages  of  these  are  known  because 
the  trees  have  been  traced  back  historically  for  that  length  of  time. 
But  these  are  babies  in  age  by  the  side  of  the  Baobabs.  Botanists 
calculate  the  ages  of  the  largest  Baobabs  to  be  over  5,000  years ! 
We  must  remember  this  is  calculation,  not  certainty.  It  is  positively 
known,  however,  that  some  of  them  are  several  hundred  years  old  ; 
and  there  are  olive  trees  known  to  have  lived  over  a  thousand  years. 
This  is  a  very  good  old  age  when  we  consider  that  man  seldom  lives 
to  a  hundred. 

The  height  to  which  some  tropical  plants  that  are  not  trees  grow  is 


THE  GIANT  CANDLE. 


[88 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


surprising.      You  have,   no  doubt,  all  seen  the  queer  fleshy-leaved 
cactus  that  is  cultivated  in  green-houses.     This  plant  has  no  woody 

stem,  and  yet  one  species 
of  it  grows  to  the  height 
of  twenty  and  thirty  feet. 
It  is  called  the  giant 
candle,  and  it  certainly 
looks  like  one. 

The  great  height  of  this 
plant  is  the  more  surpri- 
sing because  it  grows 
right  out  of  crevices  of 
rocks  where  no  soil  can 
be  seen,  and  pushes  its 
straight,  fleshy  stem  up 
into  the  air  without  any- 
thing to  shelter  it  from 
the  furious  winds  that 
often  sweep  over  the 
country.  But  it  braves 
the  winds,  and  grows, 
and  grows  ;  and  every 
year  puts  forth  its  large 
white  flowers,  and  bears 
upon  its  queer  stalk  a 
very  savory  fruit. 

The  largest  palms  rise 
to  a  height  of  45  feet,  and 
more  or  sometimes  as  high 
as    70  feet — before  put- 
ting out  a  single  branch.     Then  they  spread  out  a  great  plume  of 


TREE   FERNS. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE.  189 


feathery  leaves.  The  wax  palm  of  the  Andes  is  said  to  grow  to  the 
height  of  200  feet. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  ferns,  that  are  here  so  fragile  and  delicate, 
grow  so  high  that  they  look,  at  a  little  distance  like  small  palms. 

The  tallest  trees  in  the  world  are  the  giant  trees  of  California. 
These  are  from  300  to  350  feet  high ;  and  one  that  was  cut  down  was 
450  feet  high. 

We  cannot  very  well  speak  of  the  height  of  vines,  but  there  are 
species  of  these  that  grow  to  a  very  great  length.  Sometimes  one 
stalk  will  stretch  itself  out  to  the  length  of  1 50  yards.  Some  of  the 
sea-weeds,  thrown  upon  the  shore,  measure  500  yards  in  a  single 
strip. 

We  must  again  go  to  the  tropics  if  we  want  to  find  large  leaves. 
You  have,  no  doubt,  heard  of  the  great  water-lily — the  Victoria  Regia, 
but  I  think  you  would  open  your  eyes  if  you  could  get  a  sight  of  a  river 
filled  with  these  floating  mammoths  of  leaves.  They  are  from  four  to 
eight  feet  in  diameter.  They  are,  in  shape,  almost  circular,  and  are 
turned  up  a  little  around  the  edges. 

The  strength  of  these  leaves  is  almost  as  surprising  as  their  size. 
The  fibres  are  large,  and  are  so  woven  together  on  the  under  side 
that  they  form  a  solid  framework  to  support  the  upper  part  of  the 
leaf,  which  is  of  a  beautiful  green,  and  thick,  and  velvety.  The  water- 
fowl choose  these  leaves  often  for  sleeping  places  in  the  hot  nights, 
and  find  it  very  pleasant,  doubdess,  to  be  thus  rocked  on  the  cool 
water,  in  a  velvet  bed,  that  will  not  sink. 

Palms  have  ridges  running  lengthwise  of  their  leaves,  as  you  may 
see  by  examining  a  palm  leaf  fan.  One  ridged  leaf  of  the  talipot 
palm,  when  well  grown,  it  is  said,  will  shelter  forty  persons.  This 
sounds  like  a  traveler's  story,  but  single  leaves  of  this  tree  have  been 
brought  to  this  country,  and  one  of  them  will  completely  cover  the 
ceiling  of  a  good-sized  room. 


igo 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE   GUTTA  PERCHA   TREE. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE.  191 

The  leaves  of  the  cocoanut  palm  are  several  feet  long-. 

The  juices  of  many  vegetables  possess  very  singular  properties. 
The  cow-tree,  is  so  called  because  the  sap  that  flows  from  it  closely  re- 
sembles milk,  and  is  used  as  such  by  the  natives. 

A  substance,  with  which  you  are  very  familiar,  India-rubber,  is 
nothing  but  the  sap  of  a  tree.  A  very  useful  sap  it  is ;  and,  when 
hardened,  and  properly  prepared,  is  impervious  to  water ;  and  shoes, 
coats,  coverlets,  &c.,  are  made  of  it.  Put  through  another  hardening 
process  it  takes  a  fine  polish,  and  is  made  up  into  beautiful  ornaments 
and  useful  articles. 

India-rubber  trees  are  found  in  South  America,  the  East  Indies,  and 
in  some  parts  of  Africa. 

In  the  same  countries  there  grows  a  beautiful  tree,  which  yields  a 
thick  sap,  called  gutta-percha.  This  is  similar,  in  substance,  to  India- 
rubber,  and  is  used  for  a  great  variety  of  purposes,  from  making  life- 
boats to  knife-handles. 

Sugar  and  molasses  are  made  from  the  juice  of  a  cane  ;  maple 
sugar  from  the  sap  of  a  tree  that  grows  plentifully  in  all  our  mountain 
districts.  You  think  it  wonderful  that  milk  can  be  taken  from  a  tree. 
Is  it  not  quite  as  strange  to  find  sugar  there  ?  I  suppose  you  will  re- 
ply to  this  that  the  milk  is  ready  prepared,  while  we  have  to  make  the 
sugar.  That  is  true,  but  we  add  nothing  to  what  we  take  from 
the  tree.  We  simply  apply  heat  to  the  sap,  and  behold  the  sugar ! 
The  chief  reason,  I  think,  why  we  are  not  surprised  at  this  sugar  tree 
is  that  we  are  familiar  with  it.  The  inhabitants  of  Central  America 
do  not  see  anything  strange  in  the  fact  of  a  tree  bearing  milk. 

But  there  is  a  tree  that  produces  sugar  ready-made.  This  is  the 
manna  tree  of  Sicily.  The  sap  hardens  on  the  trunk  and  branches 
into  sugary  particles,  which  are  scraped  off  with  wooden  knives. 
This  kind  of  sugar  is  used  principally  in  medicine.  It  is  insipid  in 
taste. 


192  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

A  species  of  Laurel  in  India  contains  camphor  in  all  its  juices. 
Break  up  twigs,  stems,  and  leaves  of  this  tree,  and  heat  them,  and 
the  liquid  that  comes  from  them  will  soon  condense  into  camphor 
gum. 

The  seeds  of  one  kind  of  palm  produce  a  fine  oil ;  and  the  stalks 
of  another  give  us  wax,  of  which  candles  are  made.  This  wax  forms 
on  the  outside  of  the  stalk,  at  the  places  where  the  leaves  join  the 
stem.  From  another  palm  is  extracted  a  juice  that  when  exposed  to 
the  air  for  a  short  time,  becomes  wine. 

In  arid  deserts,  and  in  unwholesome  marshes  plants  flourish  luxuri- 
antly, the  leaves  of  which  contain  pure,  sweet,  fresh  water,  always  ready 
for  the  thirsty  traveler. 

So  far  we  have  only  spoken  of  the  wholesome  juices  of  plants  and 
trees,  but  a  large  number  are  full  of  deadly  poisons.  Many  of  these 
grow  in  our  own  woods  and  fields.  Some  of  the  poisons  have  been 
utilized  in  medicines,  for  it  has  been  found  that,  properly  prepared, 
and  given  in  small  quantities,  they  can  frequently  arrest  disease. 
Such  is  opium,  which  we  get  from  the  poppy,  strychnine,  and  prussic 
acid.  All  of  these  are  terrible  poisons,  but  when  administered  by  a 
physician  in  small  doses,  they  relieve  pain,  and  help  to  cure  disease. 

Other  vegetable  poisons  seem  to  be  only  destructive.  If  a  man 
should,  ignorantly  take  refuge  under  a  Machineel  tree  from  a  shower, 
and  remain  there  for  any  length  of  time  after  the  rain  began  to 
drip  upon  him,  he  would  suddenly  discover  that  blisters  were  breaking 
out  on  his  skin,  and  that  sharp  pains  were  running  through  his  limbs, 
and  he  might  well  feel  thankful  if  he  escaped  without  a  fit  of  sickness. 
This,  at  least  is  the  story  that  the  savages  tell  who  live  in  the  regions 
where  the  Machineel  grows.  It  is  probable  that  they  exaggerate  the 
facts,  but  they  will  none  of  them  go  near  a  tree  of  this  species  if  they 
can  help  it ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  very  poisonous. 

The  most  celebrated  of  the  poison-trees  is  the  Upas,  which  grows 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 


^91 


THE  DEADLY  UPAS. 


13 


194  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

in  several  tropical  countries,  but  chiefly  in  the  island  of  Java.  The 
accounts  given  of  the  Machineel  tree  are  nothing  compared  to  the 
wonderful  stories  told  of  the  Upas.  No  plant,  not  even  grass,  will 
grow  under  one  of  these  trees,  or  anywhere  near  it.  A  drop  of  water 
falling  from  a  leaf  on  any  one  beneath  it,  will  produce  inflammation. 
Whoever  walks  under  one  of  these  trees  bare-headed,  must  expect  to 
lose  all  his  hair.  To  stay  under  it  for  a  short  time  will  cause  sickness. 
To  sleep  under  it  is  certain  death.  Birds  fly  over  the  tree  with  great 
difflculty,  and  if  one  should  chance  to  alight  upon  it,  woe  be  to  him  ! 
Instantly  he  drops  down  dead.  The  wild  beasts  know  the  fatal  tree, 
and  shun  it,  but,  if  one  venture  beneath  its  shadow,  he  never  comes 
forth  again,  but  leaves  his  bones  there. 

These  stories  which  the  natives  really  believe,  they  told  to  tra- 
velers, and,  for  a  long  time  they  were  supposed  to  be  true.  One 
thing  which  caused  these  accounts  to  be  so  readily  credited  was  the 
condition  of  things  in  a  valley  in  Java,  where  these  trees  were  found 
in  abundance. 

The  natives  of  Java  told  the  Europeans  of  a  wonderful  valley  that 
they  called  the  Valley  of  Death,  because  the  air  was  so  poisoned  with 
the  noxious  vapors  of  the  Upas  trees  that  no  animal  ever  went  through 
the  valley.  It  dropped  dead  before  the  short  journey  was  completed, 
and  the  ground  was  strewn  with  the  bones  of  creatures  that  had  per- 
ished there.  The  natives  were  willing  to  conduct  their  visitors  to  a 
hill  that  overlooked  this  valley  at  a  safe  distance.  When  they  arrived 
at  this  hill,  there,  sure  enough,  was  the  valley.  Upas  trees,  dead  grass, 
bones,  and  all,  just  as  the  savages  had  described  it.  This  settled  the 
matter  for  a  great  many  years  in  regard  to  the  death  dealing  Upas 
tree.  Other  travelers  to  Java,  rode  up  this  hill,  looked  at  the  Valley 
of  Death,  shuddered,  and  rode  down  again. 

At  last  there  arrived  on  the  hill-top  a  man  who  made  up  his  mind 
he  would  ride  through  this  valley !     And  so  he  did !     Everybody  said 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE   LIFE.  195 

he  was  going-  to  his  death,  but  he  was  resolved  to  solve  the  mystery 
of  the  valley.  He  rode  into  it,  and  through  it,  and  back  again,  and 
came  out  alive  and  well  !  Nevertheless  he  found  the  skeletons  of 
wild  animals,  and  of  birds  strewn  the  whole  length  of  the  valley. 

It  was  a  mystery,  but  it  was  all  cleared  up  afterwards.  The  valley 
was  fatal  to  all  animals  except  man.  But  the  Upas  tree  had  nothing 
to  do  with  it.  The  valley  was  filled  with  carbonic  acid  gas  to  the 
height  of  a  couple  of  feet  from  the  ground. 

I  cannot  explain  to  you  in  this  place  how  this  gas  is  formed  by 
plants.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to  study  up  this  subject,  for 
it  is  quite  curious,  and  very  interesting.  The  gas  is  fatal  to  animal 
life.  Neither  man,  beast,  or  bird  can  breathe  it  for  even  a  short  time 
and  live.  But  the  gas  is  heavier  than  the  common  air,  and  sinks  in 
it.  In  this  valley,  as  I  have  said,  it  extended  only  about  two  feet 
above  the  orround,  and  a  man's  lunges  were  above  it,  so  he  could  not 
inhale  it.  On  horseback  of  course  he  was  far  above  it.  But  low  ani- 
mals, and  birds  that  alighted  on  the  ground  at  once  fell  victims  to  it. 

This  led  to  an  examination  of  the  Upas  tree  stories,  and  most  of 
them  were  found  to  be  fables.  Grass  and  flowers  do  grow  around 
these  trees  in  most  places  ;  birds  sport  upon  their  branches,  and  lizards 
run  up  and  down  unhurt ;  and  it  is  possible  to  remain  under  them 
without  injury  of  any  kind. 

But  it  is  true  that  the  juice  of  the  upas  is  a  powerful  poison. 
The  savages  use  it  as  a  weapon  to  kill  their  enemies  in  war,  and  to 
slay  the  wild  beasts.  They  dip  the  points  of  their  spears  and  arrows 
in  the  poisonous  sap.  An  animal  dies  in  five  or  six  minutes  after  being 
struck  with  one  of  these  poisoned  weapons.  They  take  great  precau- 
tions in  collecting  the  sap,  so  terrible  is  their  fear  of  this  tree. 

On  some  plants  the  blossoms  are  so  small  they  can  scarcely  be  seen 
by  the   naked  eye,  and  on  others  they  are  of  enormous  proportions. 

An  African  flower,  the  Aristolochia,  has  a  large  and  curiously  shaped 


196  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

blossom.  It  is  shaped  like  a  helmet  with  flaring  edges,  and  the  open- 
ino-  is  so  large  that  it  will  admit  the  head  of  a  man,  and  can  be  worn 
as  a  hat. 

The  flowers  of  the  Victoria  Regia,  which  are  shaped  very  much  like 
those  of  our  water  lily,  are  a  yard  in  circumference. 

But  the  giant  of  blossoms  is  the  Rafflesia  Arnoldi.  This  is  a  long 
name,  but  the  flower  can  bear  it  very  well. 


RAFFLESIA  ARNOLDI, 


It  grows  in  the  islands  of  Java  and  Sumatra,  and  the  buds  and  blos- 
soms seem  to  be  pretty  much  all  there  is  of  the  plant.  And  quite 
enough  too.  The  full  blown  flower  is  a  yard  wide.  Each  of  its  five 
petals  is  a  foot  long,  and  they  stand  at  about  the  distance  of  a  foot 
from  each  other.  In  the  centre  there  is  a  deep  honey-cup,  which  is 
capable  of  holding  a  dozen  pints  of  fluid.  The  whole  weighs  fifteen 
pounds.  The  central  cup  is  violet  and  red,  and  the  petals  are  of  a 
brilliant  orange  color,  so  that  it  makes  a  gorgeous  display  indeed. 

But  this  flower,  so  magnificent  in  size  and  color,  has  such  a  dis- 
agreeable smell,  that  after  having  satisfied  your  curiosity  by  looking 
at  its  gigantic  blossom,  you  will  be  glad  to  get  away  from  its  neighbor- 
hood. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE.  197 

From  the  bark  of  a  tree,  the  Cinchona,  we  get  one  of  our  most  use- 
ful and  powerful  medicines.  The  bark  is  known  under  the  name  of 
Peruvian  bark,  and  there  are  several  preparations  from  it — quinine 
being  the  one  most  generally  used.  It  is  a  valuable  medicine  every- 
where, but  is  especially  so  in  the  hot  countries  where  it  grows,  for  very 
malignant  fevers  prevail  in  those  localities.  It  got  its  name.  Cinchona, 
from  the  first  European  who  used  it.  The  Countess  Chinchon  of 
Spain,  while  living  in  Peru  was  attacked  by  one  of  the  terrible  fevers 
of  the  country,  and  was  near  dying,  when  she  heard  that  in  such  fevers 
the  natives  cured  themselves  with  the  bark  of  a  tree.  She  tried  it, 
and  recovered  ;  and,  after  she  got  well,  she  took  pains  to  make  known 
the  virtues  of  this  bark,  and  gave  away  great  quantities  of  it.  It  is 
now  a  very  important  article  of  export  from  Peru,  and  a  source  of 
orreat  wealth. 

o 

There  are  other  barks  of  plants  and  trees  used  in  medicine.  A 
great  many  are  useful  as  dyes.  The  inner  bark  of  a  species  of  oak 
furnishes  us  with  corks.  Some  trees  have  aromatic  barks.  The  black 
birch  of  our  own  woods  is  highly  spiced.  Of  some  the  flavor  is  so 
pleasant  that  they  are  used  as  spices.  Cinnamon  bark,  for  instance, 
which,  of  course,  you  know  all  about. 

So  you  see  that  even  in  the  bark  of  vegetables  there  are  pleasant 
things  stored  away,  and  wonderful  secrets,  if  we  choose  to  take  the 
trouble  to  get  at  them. 

The  fragrance  of  a  plant,  if  it  has  any,  we  expect  to  find  In  its  blos- 
soms. But  this  quality  is  not  confined  to  the  flowers.  It  is  found 
sometimes  in  the  leaves,  occasionally  in  the  bark,  and  very  frequentl)- 
in  the  fruit.  We  are  familiar  with  the  fragrance  of  strawberries,  rasp- 
berries, peaches,  grapes,  bananas,  lemons,  and  oranges;  and  many 
others  might  be  named.  In  fact  nearly  all  eatable  fruits  have  some 
sort  of  a  pleasant  odor,  though  in  some  it  is  very  faint. 

Sometimes  the  fragrance  is  in  the  nuts.     There  are  but  few  ex- 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


amples  of  this.  The  Black  Walnut  has  an  agreeable  smell.  The 
most  famous  of  fragrant  nuts  is  the  Nutmeg,  with  which  we  are  all 
familiar  in  the  spice-boxes.  But  perhaps  you  don't  know  how  beauti- 
fully it  looks  growing  upon  the  tree.  So  we  will  break  off  a  branch 
for  you  to  look  at. 


BRANCH  OF  A  NUTMEG  TREE. 


This  nut  ripens  under  the  hot  sun  of  India.  Not  only  is  the  nut 
itself  fragrant,  but  the  second  coat  of  its  envelope,  or  shell,  that  you 
see  in  the  picture,  also  has  a  pleasing  perfume  of  its  own,  entirely  dis- 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 


199 


tinct  from  its  nut.  This  you  are  also  familiar  with  in  the  spice  box, 
broken  up  into  thin  yellow  chips,  and  called  Mace. 

No  more  delicious  fragrance  can  be  found  than  that  of  a  South 
American  bean,  the  Vanilla. 

As  for  leaves,  you  can  think  of  a  great  many  fragrant  kinds  in  a  few 
minutes,  not  only  green-house  plants,  like  some  of  the  geraniums,  but 
many  of  the  weeds  of  the  fields. 

Some  vegetables  produce  very  remarkable  fruits. 

A  species  of  fig-tree  bears  loaves  of  bread  !  It  is  quite  a  large  tree, 
about  forty   feet   high,   and    has  wide    spreading   branches,   thickly 


FRUIT  OF  THE  BREAD  FRUIT  TREE,  REDUCED  IN  SIZE. 

covered  with  very  large  leaves.     It  bears  fruit  abundandy,  and  during 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


eight  months  of  the  year,  there  is  always  some  ripe  fruit  to  be  found 
on  the  boughs. 

This  fruit  is  round  ;  is  larger  than  a  child's  head  ;  weighs  three  or 
four  pounds,  and  is  rough  and  hairy  on  the  outside. 

The  thick  green  rind  encloses  a  pulp,  which  is  as  white  as  wheat 
bread,  and,  when  cooked,  tastes  very  much  like  it,  and  is  equally 
nourishing.  To  prepare  it  to  be  eaten,  it  is  cut  into  thick  slices,  and 
laid  upon  a  gridiron  over  a  bed  of  hot  coals.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
"  bread"  is  ready. 

Thus  the  natives  of  the  countries  where  this  fruit  grows  have  bread 
for  eight  months  of  the  year  with  very  little  trouble.  If  they  did  not 
have  this  kind  they  would  not  have  any  bread  at  all,  for  wheat  and 
rye  will  not  grow  there. 

But  they  want  bread  the  rest  of  the  year  too.  So  they  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  time  when  the  fruit  is  most  abundant,  and,  from  that 
which  they  do  not  want  for  immediate  use,  they  prepare  a  paste  that  can 
be  kept  a  long  time  without  turning  sour.  And,  during  the  four 
months  the  tree  is  without  ripe  fruit,  they  live  upon  this  preparation. 

Tapioca  is  the  singular  production  of  a  vegetable  root.  It  is  singu- 
lar because,  though  wholesome  and  nutritious  as  food,  it  is  produced 
from  a  strong  poison.     It  is  prepared  as  follows  by  native  women. 

Roots  of  the  manioc  plant  are  gathered,  and  bruised  into  pulp  with 
a  wooden  pestle.  This  pulp  is  wrapped  in  a  net  made  of  lily  leaves. 
This  is  stuck  upon  a  fork,  and  a  heavy  weight  tied  to  the  bottom  of 
the  net  so  as  to  press  it  tightly  to  squeeze  out  the  manioc  juice.  A 
calabash  receives  the  juice,  which  is  very  poisonous.  Arrows  and 
spear  heads  are  dipped  into  it  to  make  them  certainly  fatal.  While 
this  is  going  on  the  liquid  is  all  the  time  depositing  a  white,  starch- 
like substance  in  the  bottom  of  the  calabash.  When  all  of  this  that  the 
poisonous  liquid  contains  is  deposited,  the  juice  is  poured  off,  and  the 
white  substance  is  passed  through  clear  water,  and  becomes  tapioca. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  VEGETABLE  LIFE. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


When  we  are  in  the  tropics  we  must  not  forget  to  visit  the  Man- 
groves. These  trees  grow  thickly  together  in  the  ocean  mud  near 
the  shore,  and  are  very  queer  specimens  of  the  vegetable  world.  To 
look  at  them  from  a  little  distance  you  would  hardly  know  whether 
they  were  trees,  or  fishes,  or  sea-serpents.  Their  upper  branches  and 
trunks  are  like  the  first,  their  lower  branches  covered  with  oysters 
and  other  shell-fish  appear  like  the  second ;  and  their  long  curiously 
twisted  roots,  standing  partly  out  of  the  water,  seem  like  the  third. 
Sometimes,  in  passing  over  wet  and  swampy  places,  men  walk  on 
these  roots.  In  such  a  case,  a  naked  savage  gets  along  much  more 
easily  than  an  European,  with  his  boots  and  clothes,  and  perhaps  a 
heavy  gun. 

But  there  is  a  strange  thing  about  this  tree,  apart  from  its  uncom- 
mon growth.  And  that  is  the  way  that  its  seeds  germinate.  We  put 
a  seed  into  the  ground,  and  when  it  sends  up  its  little  stalk  and  leaves 
we  say  it  has  germinated  or  sprouted.  Now  the  mangrove  seeds 
germinate  on  the  branches,  in  the  fruit.  The  seed  sends  forth  the 
little  stalk  which  grows  up  there  until  it  is  a  foot  long.  This  stalk  is 
shaped  like  a  pointed  club  and  is  quite  heavy.  When  it  is  ready  to 
fall,  it  goes  plump  down  through  the  leaves  and  branches  of  the  tree, 
sharp  end  downwards,  and  sticks  itself  firmly  upright  in  the  mud  at 
the  bottom  of  the  water.  And,  after  some  time,  it  thrusts  itself  above 
the  surface,  and  grows  into  a  comical  mangrove  tree. 

If  you  will  study  the  marvels  of  vegetable  life  you  will  find  strange 
things  of  which  I  have  said  nothing. 

Many  wonderful  plants  grow  high  up  in  the  air  on  the  branches  of 
trees ;  and  many  very  curious  ones  thrive  only  in  the  water. 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 


203 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 

Old  King  Rhine  sat  upon  his  rocky 
throne  among  the  reeds.  He  had  given 
his  kingly  word  that  for  three  months 
his  river,  the  Rhine,  should  not  overflow 
its  banks,  and  that  there  should  be  no 
manner  of  tempest  upon  its  waters.  The 
old  gentleman  was  sad  and  gloomy.  A 
month  had  passed  since  he  gave  this  pro- 
mise, and  all  that  time  he  had  had  no- 
thing to  do.  This  was  hard  upon  him, 
for  he  had  led  a  very  busy  life.  Many 
an  army  had  he  helped  across  his  river, 
and  many  a  one  had  he  broken  to  pieces 
with   floods,  and  tempests. 


S^^^^^^^^S 


KING    RHINE. 

Christians  and  savages,  knights  and  no- 
bles, and  men  of  low  degree  had  fought  upon  his  banks.  Men  had 
built  castles,  and  he  had  swept  them  away,  or  crumbled  them  into 
ruins.  And,  sometimes,  he  had  helped  beautify  them,  and  spread  grass 
and  flowers  all  around  them.  And  he  had  occupied  himself  in  many 
other  ways. 

And  now  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do.  He  looked  up  and 
down  the  length  of  the  stream.  The  waters  were  still  and  blue,  and 
vessels  glided  over  them,  and  the  little  boats  rocked  gaily  on  the 
swelling  waves.  At  the  wharves  of  the  cities  men  were  busy  loading 
and  unloading  the  ships,  and  all  rejoiced  in  the  pleasant  and  prosper- 
ous season.  On  the  hill-sides  the  vineyards  were  as  full  of  grapes  as 
ever  they  could  be,  and  the  vines  found  their  way  up  the  very  walls 
of  the  ruined  castles,  and  hung  their  purple  clusters  on  the  loosened 
stones. 


204 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


It  was  very  pretty,  and  the  old  king  took  pleasure  in  it,  but  he  al- 
ways liked  to  have  something  going  on  that  was  not  quite  in  the  ordi- 
nary way. 

Suddenly  he  remembered  that  there  were  other  creatures  under  his 
care  besides  men.  There  were  Nixies,  and  Fairies,  and  Gnomes,  and 
Dwarfs,  and  Undines,  and  Elves,  and  Sylphs,  and  Peris,  and  Nymphs, 
and  Dryads,  and  Giants. 


i  ^^tt-y"^ 


A  RHINE   VINEYARD. 


Giants  !  Here  was  something  for  him  to  attend  to  !  There  were 
not  a  great  many  giants  left  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  but  the  few 
that  were  there  were  capable  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  mischief ;  and 
king  Rhine  had  been  hearing  bad  reports  of  them  for  a  long  time. 
But  he  had  been  so  busy  with  men  and  their  affairs  that  he  had  ne- 


BR  ON  AND  KRUGE. 


205 


glected  looking  after  anything  else.     It  was  high  time  that  these  giants 
were  taught  better  manners. 

But  who  was  to  teach  them  ?  Who  should  he  employ  to  subdue 
these  giants,  who  were  as  tall  as  oak  trees  ?  Men  could  do  nothing 
against  them.  Since  the  death  of  Jack  the  Giant-Killer  no  man  had 
ever  been  known  to  conquer  a  giant. 

In  his  perplexity  he  summoned  a  wise  woman,  who  lived  on  the 
highest  peak  of  the  highest  mountain  on  the  river,  and  who  always 
gave  wise  counsel ;  but  would  never  leave  her  rocky  home  except 
when  some  one  was  in  great  need  of  good  advice.  She  came  to  the 
king  at  his  bidding  and  this  is  what  she  said  : 

"  Good  dwarfs  can  conquer  bad  giants." 

Not  another  word  would  she  utter.  She  made  this  same  answer  to 
every  question  the  king  put  to  her,  until,  finally,  he  flew  into  a  rage, 
and  shook  his  reedy  sceptre  at  her.  Whereupon  this  wise  woman 
disappeared. 

The  king  spent  several  days  thinking  about  this  matter.  He  could 
not  fight  the  giants  himself,  for  that  would  be  beneath  the  dignity  of  a 
king.  As  for  what  the  wise  woman  had  said  about  the  dwarfs,  that 
was  ridiculous.  A  little  creature,  scarcely  a  foot  high,  to  conquer  a 
mighty  giant !  But,  after  considering  the  matter  a  good  while,  it  did 
not  seem  quite  so  absurd.  He  recalled  to  mind  something  the  gnomes 
had  done  some  years  before. 

Now  a  gnome  is  as  small  a  being  as  a  dwarf,  and  his  home  is  under 
the  ground,  so  that  he  seldom  sees  the  light  of  day.  Consequently 
he  is  not  as  bright  and  quick-witted  as  a  dwarf.  And  yet  a  few  of 
these  creatures  had  first  astonished  all  the  civilized  nations  on  the 
globe,  and  then  set  them  all  to  quarreling.  In  order  to  make  you 
understand  how  this  was  I  must  go  back  for  a  minute  to  the  world  be- 
fore the  Flood. 

A  long  time  before  the  Flood,  before  man  was  created,  the  world 


2o6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


(  ■' 

H  '" 

HL^HH 

^#fl^-:^l. 

'■-'"' '''i^ 

A                             j 

1     • 

^?^'.iiM 

11^^"^ 

^ 

E'^fcs^ 

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*  .    - 

^r  ;.-j^;^^p,^ 

^^-%51^ 

'^fci^^W^'' 

^rfSfc" 

THE  GNOMES  AT  WORK. 


BRON  AND  KRUGE.  207 


was  inhabited  by  beasts,  fishes,  and  reptiles  of  enormous  size  ;  very 
much  larger  than  any  at  present  upon  the  earth.  We  know  this  be- 
cause parts  of  the  skeletons  of  these  animals  have  been  found  in 
various  places  ;  and  the  learned  men  of  different  countries  have  writ- 
ten a  great  deal  about  them. 

Now  it  happened  that  some  years  before  this  trouble  had  arisen 
between  King  Rhine  and  the  giants,  and  before  his  talk  with  the  wise 
woman,  some  gnomes  while  digging  in  a  cave  for  gold,  found  buried 
in  the  earth  the  skeleton  of  an  immense  head.  Astonished  at  this 
sight  they  determined  to  let  gold  hunting  alone  for  a  while,  and  to  see 
if  they  could  not  find  the  rest  of  the  animal  to  which  the  head  be- 
longed. They  worked  carefully  and  industriously  for  many  months  with 
their  little  picks  and  spades,  and,  finally  they  laid  bare  the  whole 
skeleton  of  a  monstrous  creature  of  the  very  queerest  shape  the 
gnomes  had  ever  seen.  I  say  the  whole  of  it,  but  there  were  a  few 
bones  wanting  here  and  there,  for  which  the  gnomes  searched  in  vain 
in  the  earth  around  the  spot  where  the  creature  lay. 

This  animal  measured  thirty-three  feet  in  length.  It  was  shaped 
somewhat  like  a  great  lizard,  but  it  had  the  back-bone  of  a  fish,  and 
the  fins  of  a  dolphin,  with  the  head  and  teeth  of  a  crocodile.  But  what 
eyes  it  must  have  had  while  living  !  The  gnomes  amused  themselves 
by  crawling  in  and  out  of  the  sockets  \  The  ball  of  the  eye  must  have 
been  as  large  as  a  man's  head ! 

When  the  gnomes  had  finished  this  great  piece  of  work  they  did  not 
know  what  to  do  with  the  huge  creature  they  had  found.  It  was  of 
no  use  to  them,  and,  after  they  had  taken  a  few  of  the  smallest  bones 
for  drum-sticks,  they  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  it.  After 
a  time,  the  sight  of  this  terrible,  fleshless  monster  was  hateful  to  them, 
and  they  could  not  move  it  away. 

In  this  dilemma  they  went  to  King  Rhine  to  know  what  it  was  best 
to  do  with  this  fruit  of  their  long  labors.     He  told  them  they  had  been 


2o8  TALES  OUT  OF  SCIfOOL. 

very  foolish  gnomes  to  spend  so  much  time  on  a  thing  that  was  of  no 
use  to  anybody,  and  that  ought  to  be  covered  up  from  the  sight  of 
men.  He  advised  them  to  put  all  the  earth  and  stones  back  again, 
and  bury  the  horrid  creature. 

The  gnomes  could  not  make  up  their  minds  to  do  this,  and  they 
moved  out  of  the  cave  into  another  part  of  the  same  mountain,  and 
left  the  lizard  in  possession  of  their  old  home. 

Soon  after  a  wood-cutter,  being  caught  in  a  storm,  took  refuge  in 
this  cave  ;  and  the  sight  of  this  gigantic  skeleton  frightened  him  more 
than  the  storm.  He  ran  to  his  village  with  the  wonderful  news.  A 
very  learned  man  who  lived  there,  hearing  the  story,  went  to  look  at 
the  skeleton,  and  was  filled  with  astonishment,  for  he  had  never  even 
imagined  such  an  animal. 

o 

He  immediately  wrote  a  book  about  it. 

And  then  old  Rhine  found  that,  in  this  case,  the  gnomes  were  wiser 
than  their  king.  For,  so  far  from  this  creature  they  had  dug  out  of 
the  ground  being  of  no  account,  it  caused  a  greater  stir  than  anything 
that  had  happened  in  his  kingdom  since  the  last  army  had  been  driven 
across  the  river  a  good  many  years  ago.  People  flocked  from  all 
quarters  to  the  cave,  and  business  was  lively  the  whole  length  of  the 
river. 

Learned  men  came  from  every  country  in  the  civilized  world.  And 
each  one  wrote  a  book  about  the  lizard-fish.  But  the  worst  of  it  was 
that  no  two  of  them  agreed  as  to  what  it  was.  They  disputed  so  long, 
and  so  earnestly  over  this  skeleton  that,  at  last,  the  unlearned  took 
up  the  quarrel,  each  country  feeling  bound  to  support  its  own  learned 
men.  And  in  this  way  the  governments  were  drawn  into  the  dispute, 
and  there  had  liked  to  have  been  a  war  over  the  old  bones.  Letters 
of  instruction  to  Consuls  were  flying  about,  and  there  was  a  great  ex- 
amination into  treaties ;  when,  all  at  once,  it  became  known  that  the 
learned  men  all  agreed  that  the  animal  was  the   Ichthyosaurus,  and 


BR  ON  AND  KR  UGE.  209 


that  the  last  one  had  died  thousands  of  years  ago.  So  the  war  was 
happily  averted. 

Then  the  dispute  was  as  to  who  had  first  found  out  this  fact,  but 
this  was  amicably  settled  by  the  discovery  that  all  the  learned  men 
had  found  it  out  at  precisely  the  same  time. 

During  all  this  the  gnomes  had  worked  away  in  their  new  home  at 
their  own  affairs,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  great  commotion  they  had 
caused.  But  king  Rhine  nodded  his  old  head,  and  said  to  himself ; 
"The  gnomes  are  a  very  little  people,  but  they  have  managed  to  set 
the  whole  world  by  the  ears." 

He  recalled  all  this  now,  and  thought  perhaps  the  wise  woman 
meant  what  she  said  about  the  dwarfs  and  giants. 

He  despatched  a  trusty  messenger  to  a  colony  of  dwarfs  who  lived 
in  a  large  ruined  castle.  These  dwarfs,  or  Kobolds,  as  they  are  called 
in  that  part  of  the  country,  sleep  all  day,  and  do  their  work  at  night. 
Therefore  the  king  chose  an  owl,  venerable  with  age  and  wisdom,  for 
his  messenger.  He  was  to  travel  in  the  night-time,  and  rest  in  the 
day. 

On  the  second  night,  quite  early,  the  owl  arrived  at  the  castle.  He 
flew  quietly  into  the  ruin,  so  as  not  to  frighten  the  dwarfs,  but  he 
found  they  had  already  gone.  He  was  afraid  he  was  too  late  ;  and 
that  they  had  all  dispersed  to  perform  their  several  duties  ;  but,  hear- 
ing a  great  noise  outside,  on  the  opposite  wall  from  that  he  had  en- 
tered, he  flew  up  into  a  narrow  window  where  there  was  no  glass,  and 
looked  solemnly  down,  with  his  great  staring  eyes,  upon  a  very  merry 
scene. 

The  little  kobolds  were  having  a  frolic  before  they  separated  for  the 
night's  adventures.  They  were  chiefly  employed  in  running  up  and 
down  the  wall,  chasing  lizards,  though  some  were  dancing  on  the 
grass  at  the  foot  of  the  castle,  and  others  were  swinging  on  the  vines, 
and  gathering  grapes.  They  were  making  such  a  hubbub  that  the 
14 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  KOBOLDS. 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 


owl  thought  he  had  better  wait  for  them  to  get  quiet  before  attempt- 
ing to  make  himself  heard. 

He  soon  noticed  that  there  were  three  dwarfs  who  took  no  part  in 
the  fun,  and  these  sat  upon  the  root  of  a  tree  near  the  castle  talking 
ver}'  earnestly  together.  The  owl  knew  something  of  the  habits  of 
the  kobolds,  and  he  supposed  this  trio  to  be  the  Council,  chosen  yearly 
by  the  colony.  It  was  the  business  of  the  Council  to  assign  to  each 
dwarf  his  nightly  task,  and  the  affairs  of  the  colony  were  mainly  placed 
in  its  hands. 

While  the  three  are  holding  counsel  together,  and  the  owl  is  wait- 
ing, I  will  tell  you  something  about  these  dwarfs. 

They  were  generally  larger  than  Fairies,  although  some  of  them 
were  very  small  indeed. 

There  were  three  or  four  kinds  of  these  little  people,  all  called 
dwarfs,  althouo^h  there  was  a  orreat  difference  in  their  characters,  and 
labors.  Some  were  wicked,  and  thought  only  of  doing  spiteful  tricks  ; 
some  were  lazy  drones,  some  mingled  publicly  with  men,  and  became 
kings'  fools ;  some  would  never  show  themselves  to  human  beings ; 
and  some  were  gnomes  and  worked  underground. 

The  kobolds  were  the  brightest,  and  most  industrious  of  all  the 
dwarfs,  and  were  famed  for  being  good-tempered  and  obliging. 
Every  night  these  little  creatures  were  busy  in  the  fields,  and  the 
stables,  and  the  kitchens  of  the  neighborhood.  They  never  quar- 
relled among  themselves,  and  they  gave  nobody  any  trouble.  Hence 
they  w^ere  spoken  of  as  the  Peaceful  People. 

Sometimes  field  laborers,  on  going  out  in  the  morning  to  weed,  or 
to  reap,  would  find  the  work  already  done.  A  poor  farmer's  wife 
coming  into  her  kitchen  in  the  morning  to  make  the  fire  would  find 
the  wood  all  cut,  and  laid  in  order,  and  a  pail  of  water  brought  from 
the  spring.  Sometimes  the  little  people  would  go  into  the  dining 
room,  and  wash  the  glasses,  and  clean  the  silver.     Occasionally  they 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


would  go  to  work,  and  drive  all  the  mice  and  spiders  out  of  a  house. 
They  washed  dishes,  and  cleaned  vegetables,  and  made  themselves 
useful  about  the  house  in  every  possible  way.  All  they  required  in 
return  was  a  little  food.  A  bowl  of  milk,  or  some  nice  fresh  bread, 
was  set  upon  the  kitchen  table,  and  that  was  supper  enough  for  a  ko- 
bold. 

Some  of  them  preferred  to  work  in  stables. 
They  would  curry  the  horses ;  comb  out  their 
manes  ;  shake  down  straw  for  the  litters,  and 
clean  the  stables.  But  this  is  hard  work,  and 
the  little  things  would  get  very  tired.  So  the 
coachmen,  and  the  farmers  used  to  tie  knots 
in  the  manes  of  the  horses  to  afford  restino- 
places  for  the  kobolds.  They  would  sit  in 
these  to  rest  their  weary  limbs  and  often  take 
a  little  nap  there  to  refresh  themselves. 

They  visited  the  sheep  in  the  fold,  or  on 
the  hill-sides,  and  kept  the  fleeces  white  and 
clean. 

There  were  many  other  things  the  kobolds  did,  but  I  have  told 
enough  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  busy,  and  helpful  life  they  led ;  and 
will  now  return  to  the  colony  that  lived  in  the  old  castle. 

The  owl  looked  down  and  watched  the  frolic  of  the  dwarfs  for 
nearly  an  hour.  Then  one  of  the  three  dwarfs,  who  formed  the  Council, 
blew  a  shrill  blast  upon  a  whistle.  At  this  signal  the  whole  colony 
gathered  into  a  group  in  front  of  the  Council.  Now  all  were  quiet, 
and  the  owl  knew  this  was  his  time  to  speak,  for  the  tasks  of  the  night 
were  to  be  given  out,  and  as  each  one  received  his  commission,  he 
would  go  away. 

The  owl  flapped  his  wings,  and  they  all  looked  up.  Some  of  them 
had  seen  him  before,  and  knew  him  to  be  orwe.  of  the  king's  messengers. 


TAKING  A  REST. 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 


213 


So  they  invited  him  to  a  seat  on  a  rock  near  them,  and  Hstened  with 
respectful  attention  while  he  told  them  of  the  bad  behavior  of  the 
giants,  and  of  the  advice  of  the  wise  woman.  He  took  good  care  not 
to  tell  them  that  the  king  at  first  thought  this  advice  ridiculous,  but 
made  it  appear  that  his  majesty  relied  upon  the  good  dwarfs  to  con- 
quer the  giants,  and  to  make  them  behave  peaceably.  The  method  of 
accomplishing  this  he  left  entirely  to  their  wisdom. 

It  was  a  very  flattering  speech,  and  the  owl  looked  so  grave  while 
delivering  his  message  that  the  dwarfs  believed  every  word  of  it. 
Never  in  all  the  history  of  kobolds  had  anything  like  this  happened. 
The  giants  were  the  beings  that  the  dwarfs  feared  more  than  any 
other  creatures,  and  they  took  very  good  care  always  to  keep  out  oi 
their  way.  And  now  their  king  thought  them  capable  of  vanquishing 
these  gigantic  enemies  !  The  whole  colony  became  at  once  puffed  up 
with  pride  and  vanity,  and  clamored  to  the  Council  to  lead  them  forth 
immediately  to  fight  the  giants. 

Two  of  the  members  of  the  Council  had  their  wits  completely  carried 
away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  colony,  and  waved  their  hats,  and 
shouted,  "  On  to  the  giants !"  But  the  third  member  sat  quiet  until 
all  the  company  had  shouted  themselves  hoarse,  and  were  still  once 
more.     Then  he  said : 

"  My  friends,  we  can  never  conquer  the  giants  in  an  open  fight. 
One  of  these  huge  creatures  could  crush  a  dozen  of  us  at  a  time  with 
one  foot,  and  a  giant's  club  would  knock  our  whole  colony  higher  than 
a  kite.  Moreover  we  know  nothing  about  fighting.  The  kobolds 
have  been  peaceable  people  from  the  beginning  of  time,  and  all  war- 
fare is  distasteful  to  us.  The  giants  are  big  and  strong,  but  every- 
body knows  they  have  not  much  wit,  while  our  small  heads  are  full  of 
brains.  The  giants  do  nothing  but  mischief,  and  any  fool  can  do  that. 
But  we  spend  our  time  in  work  that  requires  intelligence  and  skill. 
The  king  has  honored  us  by  selecting  us  to  punish  the  giants  for  their 


214  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

bad  behavior,  and  I  feel  sure  we  can  conquer  them ;  but  we  must  do 
it  by  using  our  brains,  and  not  with  weapons  of  war." 

The  name  of  the  dwarf  who  thus  spoke,  was  Bron,  and  he  was 
looked  upon  by  the  whole  colony  as  the  brightest  wit  among  them. 
So  they  listened  attentively  to  all  he  had  to  say.  But  they  were  not 
in  the  humor  for  following  this  good  advice.  The  king  evidently  ex- 
pected them  to  fight  the  giants,  and  fight  them  they  would. 

They  sent  a  message  back  to  the  king  that  they  were  going  forth 
to  battle,  and,  in  three  days,  would  bring  to  him,  as  a  trophy,  the  head 
of  Kruge,  the  chief  giant. 

The  dwarfs  now  consulted  as  to  a  plan  of  action.  It  was  agreed 
that  they  should,  in  a  body,  march  upon  the  stronghold  of  Kruge,  sur- 
prise him  while  asleep,  and  tie  him  down,  fast  and  firm,  with  a  great 
number  of  small  cords.     Then  they  would  cut  off  his  head. 

If  Kruge  was  killed,  or  submitted  to  them,  the  remaining  giants 
were  as  good  as  conquered,  for  they  all  depended  upon  Kruge. 

The  kobolds  sharpened  their  little  swords  that  had  only  been  used 
for  cutting  twigs,  and  strings.  They  made  bows  and  arrows,  and 
gathered  sharp  sticks,  and  armed  themselves  with  brooms,  and  hoes, 
and  spades,  and  reaping-hooks.  They  organized  companies,  and 
drilled,  and  marched,  and  counter-marched  all  night  long ;  and  en- 
joyed it  immensely.  They  slept  soundly  the  next  day  ;  and  by  night, 
they  were  ready  for  action. 

They  marched  gaily  forth  in  four  bands  of  a  hundred  each.  The 
first  band  was  assigned  to  Bron.  He  did  not  approve  of  the  expedi- 
tion any  more  than  at  first,  and  his  heart  was  sad,  for  he  thought  his 
tribe  was  marching  to  certain  death.  But,  as  they  were  determined  to 
fight,  he  resolved  to  go  with  them,  and  do  his  best.  It  was  better  to 
die  with  them  than  to  live  alone. 

Kruge  lived  a  long  distance  from  the  castle,  and,  as  the  dwarfs  had 
to  rest  most  of  the  day,  it  was  late  in  the  second  night  when  they  drew 


BRON  AND  KRUGE.  215 


near  the  great  cave  where  the  giant  dwelt.  Fortune  favored  them, 
for  Kruge  lay  outside  of  the  cave  stretched  upon  the  ground  fast 
asleep.  He  did  not  hear  the  delicate  footfalls  of  the  tiny  creatures 
who  had  come  to  him  with  such  evil  intent,  and  they  could  easily  tie 
him  down  without  awaking  him.  But  the  dwarfs  saw  that  their  small 
cords  would  avail  nothing  when  the  giant  did  awake.  He  would  snap 
them  in  a  minute.  And  the  probability  was  that  as  soon  as  they  com- 
menced sawing  at  his  throat  to  cut  his  head  off  he  would  wake  up. 
What  would  become  of  them  then  ?  He  could  crush  half  a  dozen  of 
them  with  one  hand.  His  size  too,  was  appalling !  They  had  forgot- 
ten he  was  so  very  big  when  they  sent  the  king  word  they  would  cut 
off  his  head. 

While  they  whispered  these  things  to  each  other,  and  became  more 
frightened  every  moment,  Bron  tried  to  rally  them  into  some  sort  of 
order,  and  some  show  of  courage. 

Suddenly  the  giant  drew  in  his  breath,  and  sent  it  out  again  in  a 
most  tremendous  snore.  The  sound  was  as  loud  and  terrible  to  the 
kobolds  as  the  roaringr  of  a  lion  is  to  men.  Those  standino-  in  front 
of  the  giant's  mouth  were  blown  by  his  breath  to  the  distance  of  a 
hundred  yards,  and  fell,  badly  bruised.  And  then  commenced  a  mad 
stampede.  The  dwarfs  fairly  tumbled  over  each  other  in  their  haste 
to  get  away,  and  they  did  not  stop  to  take  breath  until  they  reached 
the  friendly  shelter  of  a  field  of  mushrooms,  fully  a  mile  from  the 
giant's  cave.  Some  of  the  very  little  ones  finding  their  legs  failing 
them,  sprang  upon  the  backs  of  butterflies,  and  bees,  and  made  the 
rest  of  the  journey  in  that  fashion. 

The  dwarfs  were  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  their  expedition  had 
failed ;  and  they  were  so  heartily  ashamed  of  this  attempt  at  warfare 
that  they  told  Bron  he  might  arrange  the  affair  with  the  giants  accord- 
ing to  his  best  wisdom,  and  they  would  faithfully  do  as  he  bade  them. 

Bron  pondered  over  the  matter  for  several  days.     He  thought  of  a 


2l6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


great  many  stratagems  for  conquering  the  giants,  but  dismissed  them 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  THE  KOBOLDS. 

from  his  mind  one  after  another.  A  giant  was  a  very  unwieldy  object 
to  manage.  At  last  he  made  up  his  mind  he  would  consult  a  very 
cunning  fox,  who  lived  near. 

The  fox  said  to  him  ;  "  You  know  that  turkeys  roost  on  trees  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Bron,  wondering  what  that  had  to  do  with  the  matter. 

"  And  you  know  that  foxes  can't  climb  trees  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Did  you  never  observe  that  I  can  get  a  turkey  whenever  I  want 
one?" 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 


217 


"  Yes." 

"  Now,  how  do  you  suppose  I  get  that  turkey  when  it  is  high  up  on 
the  tree,  and  I  can't  climb  to  it?" 

"  I  never  thought  anything  about  it,"  said  Bron,  "  but  it  is  curious, 
now  I  do  think  of  it." 

"  This  is  the  way  I  do  it.  I  walk  round  and  round  that  tree.  The 
silly  turkey  turns  its  head  round  and  round  to  look  after  me.  Pretty 
soon  it  gets  dizzy,  and  falls  off." 

"  I  see,"  said  Bron.     "  Thank  you." 

He  went  at  once  to  the  dwarfs,  and  told  them  he  had  resolved  to 
conquer  the  giant  himself,  in  single  combat. 

They  tried  to  dissuade  him,  and  told  him  he  would  never  come  out 
from  that  fight  alive,  and  that  the  colony  could  not  get  along  without 
him.  It  would  be  better  to  send  word  to  king  Rhine  that  the  task  he 
had  r-oSigned  the  dwarfs  was  too  hard,  and  that  they  could  not  do  it. 

But  Bron  said  the  honor  of  the  kobolds  was  at  stake,  and  he  was  re- 
solved to  fight  Kruge. 

The  king  laughed  when  Bron  made  his  proposition.  He  challenged 
the  giant  Kruge  to  single  combat.  If  he  succeeded  in  cutting  off  the 
forelock  of  the  giant's  head ;  Kruge,  and  all  the  giants,  were  to  be 
servants  to  the  kobolds.  If  he  failed  to  do  this,  the  kobolds  were  to 
be  servants  to  the  giants. 

The  giants  laughed  when  they  accepted  the  challenge.  And  all  the 
Dryads,  and  Nixies,  and  Elves,  and  Sylphs,  and  Fairies  laughed  when 
they  heard  the  news. 

In  a  few  days  a  great  concourse  of  these  creatures  assembled  to 
witness  the  sport.  The  combat  took  place  in  a  grassy  field  on  the 
bank  of  the  river.  All  the  giants  were  there.  But  the  kobolds 
thought  it  best  not  to  attend.  The  gnomes  however,  crept  out  of 
their  dark  homes,  anxious  for  the  fate  of  their  cousins,  the  kobolds. 

Bron  and  Kruge  entered  the  open  field,  and,  for  a  moment,  stood, 


2l8 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


and  looked  steadfastly  at  each  other.  The  dwarf  had  to  strain  his 
eyes  a  little  to  look  up  so  far  as  the  giant's  head.  Bron  was  pale,  but 
he  had  a  resolute  air.  As  for  Kruge,  he  burst  into  a  loud  laugh  at 
the  ridiculous  figure  cut  by  his  small  antagonist.  He  laughed  so  that 
he  had  to  bend  over,  and  hold  his  sides.  Everybody  laughed  except 
the  gnomes.     The  king,  himself,  could  not  restrain  a  smile. 

Bron   now  slowly  walked  around  the 

giant,  as  if  examining  him.  The  giant 
looked  after  him.  Presently  Bron  be- 
gan to  walk  more  swiftly,  and  the  giant 
turned  round  and  round  to  see  what 
the  little  fellow  was  going  to  do.  Soon 
Bron  was  running,  and  the  giant,  much 
amused  at  this  mode  of  warfare,  turned 
and  turned  until  he  got  tired  of  the 
sport.  "  I  will  catch  the  pigmy  up  and 
hold  him  tightly  in  my  fist,"  he  thought ; 
and  he  made  a  step  forward  for  this 
purpose.  He  was  so  dizzy,  by  this  time, 
that  he  fell  headlong  upon  the  ground  As  quick  as  thought,  Bron  cut 
off  the  forelock  from  the  giant's  head,  and  held  it  up  with  a  shout  of 
triumph. 

All  but  the  giants  clapped  their  hands,  and  shouted.  The  crowd 
surrounded  the  plucky  little  fellow,  and  bore  him  to  the  king,  who  im- 
mediately conferred  upon  him  a  vast  estate,  consisting  of  several  acres 
of  marsh  grass. 

Kruge  now  offered  to  Bron  the  services  of  himself  and  of  the  other 
giants,  according  to  the  terms  of  agreement.  But  Bron  modestly  said 
that  he  was  only  an  individual  member  of  a  community,  and  that  the 
dwarfs  in  a  body  must  decide  upon  the  duties  of  the  giants.  He 
therefore  requested  Kruge  to   carry  him  on   his  hand  to  the  home  of 


THE    COMBAT. 


BRON  AND  KRUGE. 


219 


the  kobolds,  where  they  would  settle  this  affair. 


PRONOUNCING  THE  SENTENCE. 


The  giant  was  very 
angry,  but  he  was 
forced  to  comply. 
Bron  stood  up  on  the 
palm  of  the  giant's 
hand,  and  Kruge 
reached  the  old  castle 
in  a  few  strides.  Bron 
desired  to  be  put 
down  in  front  of  the 
cellar  door,  and  he 
then  marched  high  up 
in  the  ruined  tower  to 
a  great  hall,  where  the 
kobolds  held  their 
solemn  meetinofs.  As 
for  the  giant  his  head 
just  reached  the  hall 
when  he  stood  upon 
the  ground. 

Bron  found  the 
whole  tribe  of  ko- 
bolds there  assem- 
bled, talking-  over  the 
wonderful  event. 
They  were  ver)^  much 
startled,  and  not  a 
little  frightened  at 
this  sudden  appear- 
ance of  Kruge  in 
their    midst,     especi; 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


ally  as  he  did  not  look  at  them  very  pleasantly.  But  Bron  with  a  very 
grand  air,  presented  the  giant  to  them  as  his  captive,  and  lawful  prize, 
won  in  single  combat. 

It  was  then  decided  by  the  dwarfs  that  the  giants  should  lay  aside 
their  swords,  clubs,  and  spears,  and  should  become  peaceable  citizens. 
That  they  should  thenceforth  work  for  what  they  ate,  and  wore,  and 
not  seize  it  by  plunder.  That  they  should  learn  the  useful  arts  of 
farming,  housework,  and  stable-cleaning.  In  short  that  they  should 
become  like  the  kobolds  themselves. 

The  giants  served  the  dwarfs  in  these  ways  for  a  long  time,  but  it 
was  very  distasteful  work.  They  felt  so  ashamed  and  so  degraded  at 
serving  these  tiny  creatures  that  they  shunned  all  living  beings  as 
much  as  possible,  and  hid  in  the  depths  of  the  forest.  They  knew  they 
were  a  laughing-stock  to  all  men,  and  fairies,  and  water-spirits,  and 
wood-nymphs.      Kruge  fared  worst  of  all.     All  these  people  when 


^^■^'^ 


THE   DESPAIR   OF   KRUGE. 

they  saw  him  would  point  at  him,  and  say:  "There  goes  the  giant 


BR  ON  AND  KRUGE. 


whose  head  was  turned  by  a  pigmy!"  He  would  sit  for  hours, 
when  he  was  not  at  work,  holding  his  head,  tearing  his  hair,  and  grind- 
ing his  teeth  with  rage.  It  would  have  been  a  grievous  thing  to  him 
to  have  been  conquered  by  another  giant,  but  to  have  been  vanquished 
by  a  pigmy  was  too  humiliating  ! 

He  finally  proposed  to  the  giants  that  they  should  all  quit  that 
countr)^  This  they  did.  Thus  the  king  was  happily  rid  of  these 
wicked  and  troublesome  subjects;  and  not  a  giant  has  been  seen  on 
the  banks  of  the  Rhine  from  that  time  to  the  present. 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  MIRAGE. 

The  small  caravan  slowly  wound  its  way  over  the  burning  sands  of 
the  desert.  Fifteen  days  of  unbroken  desert  travel  had  greatly  weak- 
ened the  little  band  which  had  left  the  last  oasis  in  such  gay  spirits. 

The  Syrian  merchant,  Ahmed,  was  the  leader  of  this  band,  and  with 
him  was  Calvert,  a  European,  and  several  Arabs.  On  some  of  the 
camels  Ahmed  had  merchandise  that  would  bring  high  prices  in  Da- 
mascus.    Calvert  was  traveling  for  pleasure. 

By  some  unaccountable  means  the  caravan  had  wandered  from  the 
regular  route,  and  Ahmed  had  no  idea  where  they  were.  The  com- 
pass told  them  in  what  direction  to  go,  but  how  were  they  ever  to  find 
any  particular  spot  in  this  trackless  waste?  Eight  days  from  the  last 
oasis  should  have  brought  them  to  the  next  on  the  regular  route. 
Now  it  was  the  fifteenth  day.  The  twelfth  day  found  their  supply  of 
water  reduced  so  low  that  only  a  very  small  quantity  could  be  given 
to  each  individual,  Ahmed  and  Calvert,  (to  their  praise  be  it  told) 
taking  no  more  than  the  others. 

As  for  the  camels  they  had  nothing  to  drink,  but  they  would  not 
suffer  for  a  long  time,  as  they  had  an  internal  arrangement  of  water- 
sacks  from  which  to  refresh  themselves. 

And  now,  on  the  fifteenth  day,  there  was  not  a  drop  of  water.  Ah- 
med would  have  given  all  his  merchandise  for  a  pint  of  the  precious 
fluid.     Death  stared  them  in  the  face. 

The  caravan  halted.  One  of  the  Arab  attendants  had  fallen  upon 
che  sands.  He  was  the  first  to  succumb  to  the  sufferings  of  thirst,  in- 
creased by  the  burning  heat  of  the  desert.  Most  of  the  men  dis- 
mounted, and  gathered  around  him,  but  they  could  do  little  for  him. 

A  loud  shout  from  a  couple  of  men  on  the  camels  caused  the  whole 
party  to  look  up.     The  men  pointed  to  the  westward.     Exclamations 


THE  MIRAGE. 


^n 


of  delight  burst  from  the  lips  of  all;  for  there,  not  two  miles  away,  lay 
an  oasis,  a  palm  grove  in  the  midst  of  a  clear  lake,  whose  waters 
sparkled  invitingly  in  the  sunlight. 


^-- 


A  VISION  OF   DELIGHT. 


224 TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Even  the  sick  Arab  turned  his  dim  eyes  thither,  and  his  feeble  Hps 
uttered  a  faint  cry  of  joy.  The  sight  so  revived  him  that  he  was  able, 
lying  on  a  camel's  back,  to  go  with  the  others  to  this  oasis. 

But,  alas!  the  nearer  they  drew  to  the  palm  grove  the  more  distant 
it  appeared;  and,  at  last,  they  lost  sight  of  it  altogether. 

Then  the  travelers  knew  it  to  have  been  a  mirage,  and  they  looked 
at  each  other  in  despair.  But  Calvert  encouraged  them.  A  mirage, 
he  said,  was  a  picture  of  some  object  painted  in  the  air  by  the  refrac- 
tion of  the  sun's  rays  through  a  peculiar  atmosphere.  It  was  a  decep- 
tive appearance,  but  it  was  caused  by  a  real  thing.  In  order  to  pro- 
duce the  picture  of  an  oasis  in  the  sky  the  oasis  itself  must  be  some- 
where. True,  it  might  be  at  a  long  distance  from  them ;  but  he  thought 
it  more  probable  that  it  was  quite  near.  And  he  indicated  in  what 
direction  it  was  likely  they  would  find  it. 

Calvert  spoke  so  earnestly  that  the  courage  of  the  party  revived. 
They  immediately  started  off  again  under  his  direction.  And,  after 
seven  hours'  march,  they  did  come  upon  a  real  oasis.  Whether  it  was 
the  one  they  had  seen  pictured  in  the  air  they  did  not  know,  but  this 
was  no  matter.  It  was  smaller  than  the  picture,  but  images  of  things 
are  often  distorted. 

The  sick  Arab  recovered  after  a  couple  of  days'  rest,  and  the  cara- 
van renewed  its  march,  men  and  beasts  strengthened  and  refreshed. 
They  took  with  them  a  liberal  supply  of  water. 

At  this  oasis  they  also  found  guides,  who  conducted  them  into  the 
regular  caravan  route ;  and  they  all  arrived  safely  at  Damascus. 


CORAL.  225 


CORAL. 

Coral  had  been  used  many  hundreds  of  years  before  men  found 
out  what  it  was.  The  savages  used  to  fashion  it  into  ornaments  for 
their  knife  and  axe  handles ;  and,  when  men  were  more  civiHzed,  and 
had  learned  to  work  in  iron,  and  to  make  armor,  they  liked  to  adorn 
their  shields  and  helmets  with  coral.  Women  made  of  this  beautiful 
red  substance,  necklaces  for  the  neck,  bracelets  for  the  arms,  and 
ornaments  for  the  hair.  But  it  is  not  likely  that  any  of  these  savages 
or  partially  civilized  people  made  any  attempt  to  find  out  what  kind 
of  substance  this  coral  was.  They  gathered  it  near  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  and  never  stopped  to  think  how  it  got  there. 

But  when  men  became  still  more  highly  civilized  they  thought  more 
deeply  about  things,  and  began  to  ask  each  other  what  caused  day, 
and  night ;  and  heat,  and  cold ;  why  the  Moon  grew  from  a  little 
bright  streak  into  the  brilliant  full  orb,  and  a  multitude  of  other  ques- 
tions. There  was  no  one  to  answer  these  questions,  and  so  the 
wisest  men  set  to  work  to  study  it  all  out.  They  found  out  a  great 
deal,  but,  of  course  they  made  a  great  many  mistakes  that  had  to  be 
set  right  afterwards  by  other  learned  men« 

Very  early  they  made  investigations  into  the  nature  of  coral.  For 
a  long  time  they  were  sorely  puzzled.  In  the  first  place  they  decided 
it  was  a  mineral  because  it  was  so  very  hard,  and  took  such  a  beauti- 
ful polish.  But,  after  further  examination  the  wise  men  all  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  was  a  plant, 

It  looked  like  a  plant.     There  could  be  no  doubt  about  that.     The 
large   specimens   examined  had  trunks  composed  of  layers  or  rings, 
very  much  like  many  trees.     From  this  trunk  were  branches,  covered 
with  a  rose-colored  bark  in  which  were  some  curious  depressions. 
15 


226 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


FISHING  FOR   CORAL   IN    THE   MEDITERRANEAN   SEA. 


CORAL.  22 -J 


Others  made  a  still  closer  examination,  and  discovered  that  these 
depressions  were  really  little  star-shaped  flowers,  with  several  colored 
rays.  This  settled  the  question.  Of  course,  if  coral  produced  flowers 
it  must  be  a  plant ;  and,  as  a  plant,  it  was  spoken  of,  and  written 
about  for  two  thousand  years. 

"But,"  it  was  asked,  "how  can  a  plant  grow  into  a  substance  as 
hard  as  a  stone  ?  There  is  nothing  else  of  such  growth  known  in  na- 
ture.    It  is  impossible."' 

The  sailors  and  coral  fishers  answered  this  question  by  asserting 
that  the  coral  was  in  a  soft  state  under  the  water,  like  any  other 
plant ;  but  when  it  was  exposed  to  the  air  it  became  petrified — that 
is,  turned  into  stone.  It  would  not  have  been  a  very  difficult  thing 
for  the  learned  men  to  have  investigated  this  matter,  and  tried  for 
themselves  whether  it  was  soft  and  flexible  under  the  water.  But 
they  never  did,  and  so  t/ia^  question  was  settled. 

It  was  settled  for  twenty  centuries.  At  the  close  of  that  long 
period  of  time  a  French  physician,  named  Peyssonnel,  while  traveling 
along  the  Mediterranean  coast,  became  much  interested  in  the  coral 
fisheries  carried  on  there.  He  examined  the  coral  flowers  with  great 
care,  and  found  that  they  were  not  flowers  at  all,  but  animals  !  The 
ancients  had  been  deceived  by  their  flower-like  form,  for  they  were 
unlike  flowers  in  every  other  respect,  having  no  stamens,  or  pistils,  or 
pollen,  and  producing  no  seed. 

But  the  opinions  of  people  were  not  to  be  overturned  all  at  once 
by  a  country  doctor.  Was  it  reasonable  to  suppose  he  should  know 
more  about  this  matter  than  all  the  learned  men  who  had  ever  lived, 
or  who  were  living  then  ?  So  everybody,  but  Peyssonnel  himself, 
went  on  believing  that  coral  was  a  plant,  and  bore  flowers ;  that  it 
grew  in  the  sea  like  other  marine  plants ;  and  that,  when  broken  ofC 
and  brought  to  the  surface,  it  suddenly  hardened  into  stone. 

Not  long,  however,  did  they  continue  in  this  belief.     Nicolai,  an  In- 


228 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


spector  of  coral  fisheries,  thought  it  was  about  time  that  an  investiga 
tion  should  be  made  deep  down  in  the  ocean  to  see  whether  the  coral 
there  was  flexible,  and  soft.     He  sent  down  one  of  his  best  divers, 


'^m- 


and  the  man  brought  back  word  that  the  coral  was  just  as  hard  in  the 
sea,  as  in  the  air.  This  was  such  surprising  news  that  Nicolai  went 
down  himself  to  make  sure  of  the  fact.  There  v/as  no  doubt  about  it 
The  coral  in  the  ocean  was  as  hard  as  a  stone. 


CORAL. 


229 


For  hundreds  of  years  wise  men  had  been  accepting  the  statements 
of  ignorant  fishermpi  without  investigation. 

Further  research  into  the  subject  proved  Peyssonnel  to  be  right. 
The  little  star-like  ornaments  on  the  coral  branches  are  animals.  J 
show  here  a  section  of  a  coral  branch  as 
it  looks  under  a  magnifying  glass,  that 
you  may  understand  how  easy  it  would 
be  for  an  ordinary  observer  to  suppose 
the  little  stars  to  be  blossoms.  You  can 
also  see  the  different  stages  of  develop- 
ment of  the  very  singular  little  coral 
animal.  B  Is  the  ovule,  or  ^gg,  from 
which  it  comes,  C  the  larva,  or  young 
creature  before  it  undergoes  its  last 
change,  and  A  is  the  full-grown  animal. 

Since  then,  the  habits  of  these  coral 
animals  have  been  more  carefully  stu- 
died, and  their  ways  are  truly  wonderful. 

They  are  so  small  that  it  requires  a  magnifying  glass  to  get  a  good 
view  of  them.  They  are  in  the  form  of  tiny  cylinders,  at  one  end  of 
which  there  is  a  mouth,  surrounded  by  branching  arms,  called  teiitacles. 
These  give  them  their  flower-like  form.  With  these  tentacles  they 
convey  their  food  to  their  mouths.  The  food  consists  of  the  smallest 
particles  of  dead  fish,  or  other  animal  matter  that  may  have  escaped 
the  jaws  of  the  larger  fisL  But,  although  they  feed  in  this  manner 
and  must  therefore  possess  the  senses  of  touch  and  taste,  there  Is  no 
indication  that  they  can  see,  or  hear,  or  that  they  are  sensitive  when 
handled.  They  cannot  move  about,  but  remain  always  in  the  place 
where  they  were  born. 

And  yet  this  minute  being,  which  belongs  to  the  very  lowest  class 
of  animals,  not  only  makes  the  branching  masses  of  coral  that  look 


A  BRANCH  OF  CORAL,  MAGNIFIED. 


230 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


CORAL.  2^1 

like  great  stone  forests  under  the  water,  but  they  also  build  immense 
walls,  and  piles  of  rocks,  sometimes  hundreds  of  miles  in  extent. 
The  coral  is  made  from  a  lime-like  substance  within  the  animal,  which 
soon  becomes  very  hard,  and  also  from  their  lime-like  bodies  after 
they  die. 

Coral  reefs  are  found  only  in  the  warm  regions  of  the  globe,  for 
the  little  workmen  cannot  endure  the  cold  of  the  northern  ocean. 
They  cannot  live  in  the  air  and  so  they  never  work  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  water. 

Of  the  branching  coral  there  are  three  kinds ;  white,  red,  and  pink. 
The  white  is  the  most  porous  and  the  least  valuable,  and  the  pink  is 
the  rarest,  and  most  costly. 

These  animals  are  called  polyps,  or  polypi.  In  some  parts  of  the 
ocean  there  are  islands  that  were  formed  by  them.  That  is,  the  coral 
builders  commenced  the  business  by  gradually  piling  up  in  the  wave 
a  mass  of  coral.  This  they  began  upon  some  sand  bar  far  down  in 
the  ocean,  and  they  kept  at  work  until  they  got  a  rocky  wall  up  to  the 
surface  of  the  water;  and  then  they  could  go  no  farther.  These 
walls  are  generally  circular. 

When  the  rocky  coral  walls  reach  the  surface,  the  waves  rush  over 
them  constantly,  carr)^'ing  with  them  sand,  and  broken  fragments  of 
corals.  Some  of  these  are  left  on  the  rocks,  until,  finally,  they  are 
piled  up  so  high  that  the  waves  cannot  roll  over  them.  Thus  is  formed 
a  singular-looking  island,  consisting  of  a  circle  of  rock,  with  a  pond 
of  stiU  water  in  the  centre.  This  little  lake  is  called  a  lagoon.  Sand 
is  strewn  by  the  waves  over  the  rocky  reef,  and  rolled  down  into  the 
lake,  which  it  fills  up,  and,  after  a  long  time  the  soil  becomes  of  suffi- 
cient depth  to  support  coarse  grasses,  and  sea  plants.  These  die,  and 
enrich  the  soil ;  and  the  winds,  bringing  from  other  shores  the  seeds 
of  palm  trees,  and  various  plants,  scatter  them  over  the  island,  which 
is  soon  crowned  with  verdure  and  flowers. 


232  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  GREAT  EASTERN. 

The  Great  Eastern  is  the  largest  steam-ship  in  the  world ;  and  is, 
indeed,  the  largest  vessel  of  any  kind  in  the  world.  You  can  see 
from  the  portion  of  the  deck  given  in  the  picture  that  the  whole  ship 
must  be  of  an  enormous  size. 

The  scene  on  the  deck  is  a  busy  one,  for  the  vessel  is  being  pre- 
pared for  a  voyage  ;  the  workmen  are  putting  on  the  finishing  touches 
in  the  way  of  carpenter-work  and  painting ;  and  the  sailors  are  busy 
with  the  sails  and  rigging.  Hundreds  of  people  are  employed  with 
steam  engines,  hoisting  cranes,  and  various  machines,  and  yet  there  is 
plenty  of  room  for  them  to  do  their  work  without  confusion. 

For  the  upper  deck  of  this  great  steamer  measures  680  feet  from 
stem  to  stern,  which  is  twice  the  length  of  the  largest  of  other  ocean 
steamers.  The  deck,  in  the  widest  part,  is  82  feet  wide.  From  this 
deck  rise  six  great  masts,  and  five  smoke  stacks. 

Great  care  has  been  taken  to  make  the  vessel  proof  against  very 
heavy  seas.  The  hull  is  double,  and  is  made  of  iron  plates.  Ten 
thousand  tons  of  iron  were  used  to  build  the  hull,  and  it  took  no  less 
than  3,000,000  rivets  to  fasten  on  the  iron  plates. 

The  Great  Eastern  carries  a  cargo  of  28,500  tons;  and  can  accom- 
modate 10,000  passengers.  So,  if  you  went  across  the  ocean  in  her, 
when  she  has  her  full  complement  of  passengers,  it  is  not  at  all  likely 
that  you  would  know  all  your  fellow-voyagers.  It  would  be  very 
strange  if  you  were  even  to  see  them  all. 

She  is  an  English  vessel,  and  has  been  to  this  country  several  times. 
She  was  visited  by  crowds  of  people  while  lying  at  the  wharf  in  New 
York.  She  also  went  to  Norfolk,  and  Baldmore.  And,  everywhere 
she  was  an  object  of  curiosity  and  wonder.  But  the  expense  of  sail- 
ing so  monstrous  a  vessel  is   very  great,  and  her  owners   have  not 


THE  GREAT  EASTERN. 


m 


PREPARING   THE  VESSEL   FOR   A   VOYAGE. 


234 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


always  known   exactly  what  to  do  with  their  ship.      She  was  very 
useful  in  laying  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Cable  a  few  years  ago.     She 


PASSENGERS   GOING  ON    BOARD. 

was  the  only  ship  that  could  conveniently  carry  such  a  tremendous 


THE  GREAT  EASTERN.  235 


weight  as  this  cable  which  was  to  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  con- 
nect two  continents. 

The  vessel,  as  you  see  her  in  the  picture,  does  not  lie  close  to  the 
wharf,  and  small  steamers  are  employed  to  take  the  passengers  out  to 
the  ship  when  she  is  ready  to  sail.  These  steamers  seem  like  baby 
vessels  when  they  are  lying  alongside  the  Great  Eastern.  Her  great 
hull  rises  far  above  their  chimneys.  The  "gangway"  is  a  long  flight 
of  stairs;  and  it  is  quite  a  slow  process  to  get  all  the  people  out  of  the 
small  steamers,  up  the  stairs,  and  on  to  the  deck  of  the  Great  Eastern. 

The  great  deck  is  pretty  well  filled  during  the  embarkation.  The 
passengers  are  all  there ;  and  their  friends  who  have  come  to  bid 
them  good-bye ;  and  there  are  piles  of  baggage  of  every  description. 
But,  after  the  small  steamers  have  gone  back  to  the  shore  with  the 
visitors,  the  decks  are  cleared,  and  the  baggage  stowed  away  in  the 
proper  places  for  it;  and  everything  is  trim  and  orderly. 

Every  arrangement  is  made  for  the  comfort  of  the  passengers. 
There  are  two  saloons,  a  large,  and  a  small  one.  These  are  beauti- 
ful rooms  lighted  by  sky-lights,  and  elegantly  ornamented,  and  fur- 
nished. There  are  a  great  number  of  state-rooms  ;  and  three  dining- 
rooms.     In  these  last  are  long  rows  of  tables. 

But  one  of  the  advantages  that  the  Great  Eastern  possesses  is  that 
she  does  not  roll  and  pitch  much,  even  in  stormy  weather,  because  she 
is  so  large  and  heavy.  Consequently  people  are  not  so  apt  to  be 
sea-sick  on  this  ship,  as  on  most  of  the  ocean  steamers. 

The  great  saloon  is  a  very  pleasant  place  for  promenading,  con- 
versation or  reading,  when  it  is  too  cold  or  stormy  to  be  on  deck. 
People  meet  here  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  perhaps.  They  get 
acquainted  and  have  long  talks  with  each  other,  and  have  music,  and 
get  up  games  to  help  pass  away  the  time.  And,  when  the  voyage  is 
over,  they  separate,  with  no  expectation  of  ever  meeting  again,  unless 
some  chance  should  make  them  fellow-travelers  another  time. 


236 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL, 


All  the  children  on  board  are  sure  to  make  friends  with  each  other  ; 
and  they  have  plenty  of  room  to  play  on  the  long  decks,  and  in  the 
saloons,  without  interfering  with  the  comfort  of  older  persons. 


THE  SALOON  OF  THE  GREAT  EASTERN. 


It  would  be  a  delightful  thing  to  take  a  voyage  on  such  a  magnificent 
steamer  as  this.     Apart  from  the  pleasure  that  the  ship  itself,  with  all 


THE  GREAT  EASTERN. 


'■37 


its  great  machinery  and  its  splendid  appointments  would  afford,  there 
would  be  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  there  is  some  chance  of 
escaping  sea-sickness  when  on  board  of  the  Great  Eastern. 

And  any  one  who  ever  has  been  sea-sick  would  be  very  apt  to  ap- 
preciate the  advantages  of  a  vessel  that  does  not  pitch  and  toss  on 
every  ordinary  wave. 


238  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


KANGAROOS. 

In  the  continent  of  Australia  where  there  are  so  many  queer  plants 
and  animals,  lives  the  numerous,  and  droll-looking  family  of  the  kan- 
garoos. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  this  family,  but  all  have  the  same  gen- 
eral characteristics ;  a  very  large  tail,  very  long  hind  legs,  and  very 
short  fore  legs. 

Kangaroos  can  out-jump  the  very  best  jumpers  you  ever  saw,  or 
heard  of  They  use  their  long  hind  legs  something  in  the  grasshop- 
per style ;  and  their  tails  are  not  only  big,  but  strong,  and  are  of 
great  assistance  to  them  in  their  leaps. 

Their  flesh  is  good  to  eat,  and  so  they  are  hunted  a  great  deal. 
Instead  of  running  from  their  pursuers  like  the  swift-footed  hares  and 
antelopes,  they  jump  away  from  them,  and  In  this  manner  they  get 
over  a  great  extent  of  country  in  a  very  short  time.  Running  would 
be  impossible  to  creatures  with  such  ridiculously  short  front  legs  ;  but 
leaping  answers  the  same  purpose ;  and,  as  this  is  their  natural  mode 
of  progression,  they  do  not  get  tired  any  sooner  than  other  animals 
do  by  running. 

The  kangaroos  are  by  no  means  ugly  animals ;  and,  though  they 
look  awkward  when  standing  on  all  fours  (which  they  seldom  do) 
they  are  very  graceful  while  making  their  leaps. 

One  of  the  prettiest  species  of  the  kangaroo  family  is  called  the 
antelope  kangaroo.  Its  head  and  ears  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
antelope  in  appearance.  ^ 

Kangaroos  are  common  enough  In  menageries,  and  the  next  time 
you  visit  such  a  place  look  for  one.  It  seems  a  pity  to  shut  them  up 
in  cages,  where  they  have  no   room  to  take  even   the  smallest  jump. 


KANGAROOS. 


239 


THE  ANTELOPE   KANGAROO. 


240  TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

But,  then,  if  they  were  not  caged  there  is  no  knowing  where  they  would 
jump  to.  Some  of  the  old  kangaroos  are  rough  customers  when 
brought  to  bay.  A  big  fellow  will  sometimes  seize  a  dog  in  his  short 
fore  legs  and  with  one  of  his  great  hind  feet  give  him  a  scrape  that  will 
make  him  wish  he  had  never  seen  a  kangaroo. 

Just  as  you  have  seen  a  quiet  peaceable  boy  when  he  had  been 
worried  and  annoyed  by  a  teasing  and  quarrelsome  fellow,  suddenly 
blaze  up  and  astonish  the  young  rascal  by  giving  him  a  good  thrash- 
ing. 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO. 


341 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO. 

PoLARGNo  was  an  Esquimaux  boy.  At  the  time  the  things  hap- 
pened to  him  that  I  am  going  to  relate  to  you  he  was  sixteen  years 
old,  and  as  merry  a  fellow  as  you  could  find  anywhere.  Here  is  his 
portrait. 

Perhaps  you  think  him  ugly,  but  our 
ideas  of  beauty  depend  a  good  deal  upon 
what  we  are  accustomed  to  see  around 
us.  You  like  a  white  skin,  regular  fea- 
tures, and  fine,  soft,  wavy  hair.  But  the 
negroes  of  Central  Africa  do  not  admire 
this  style  in  the  least.  They  prefer 
thick  lips,  flat  noses,  shining  black  skins, 
and  hair  as  tightly  twisted  and  as  wiry 
as  possible.  And  Polargno's  friends 
looked  upon  him  as  a  boy  of  a  remark- 
ably fine  appearance,  for  they  consi- 
dered it  ver}^  proper  that  he  should 
have  a  stubby  nose,  thick  lips,  small 
eyes,  and  lank,  coarse  hair.  His  parents 
thought  him  handsome,  but  his  mother 
was  grieved  because  he  was  not  quite  polargno. 

as  fat  as  other  Esquimaux  boys  of  his  age.  To  be  very  beautiful  in 
the  eyes  of  an  Esquimaux  one  must  be  very  fat.  Polargno's  father 
was  not  much  taller  than  his  son,  but  he  was  very  much  broader. 
He  consoled  his  wife,  however,  by  assuring  her  that  he  was  no  larger 
than  Polargno  at  the  same  age. 

Ip  this  picture,  Polargno  is  dressed  in  the  suit  he  wears  out  of  doors 
16 


242  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

in  the  winter.  It  is  a  complete  suit  of  seal-skin,  with  the  fur  outside. 
This  is  put  on  over  the  in-door  suit,  boots  and  all.  This  in-door  suit 
is  also  of  seal-skin,  but  it  is  made  up  with  the  fur  turned  inside.  To 
make  the  costume  complete,  he  should  have  on  his  head  a  fur  hood. 
People  have  to  dress  warmly  in  the  Esquimaux  country  where  the 
ground  is  covered  with  snow  three-fourths  of  the  year. 

Polargno's  father  owned  a  winter  and  a  summer  residence ;  which 
sounds  very  grandly,  to  be  sure,  but  he  was  no  richer  than  the  rest 
of  the  tribe.  There  was  much  similarity  among  the  families  of  the 
settlement  in  regard  to  wealth.  One  family  might  possess  a  few  more 
skins  than  the  others,  or  softer  beds,  or  an  extra  lamp ;  but,  on  the 
whole,  one  man  was  about  as  well  off  as  his  neighbors,  and  they  visited 
each  other  in  the  most  sociable  manner,  knowing  nothing  of  rank  and 
riches. 

The  winter  residence  of  Loonerkoo,  the  father  of  Polargno,  was 
constructed  in  the  following  manner :  Blocks  of  snow  two  feet  long, 
and  six  inches  wide  and  several  inches  thick,  were  cut  out  from  the 
great  snow  heaps  that  abounded  everywhere.  These  were  carefully 
pared  with  a  large  knife  and  made  even  and  smooth.  They  were 
then  built  into  a  dome.  A  good  many  layers  of  blocks  were  used  to 
make  the  walls  very  thick  and  solid.  There  were  two  windows  in 
this  dome,  and  what  do  you  think  they  were  made  of?  Each  one  was 
a  single,  inch  thick  square  of  transparent,  fresh  water  ice.  There  was 
not  the  least  danger  of  its  melting  from  the  heat  of  the  house,  the  out- 
side cold  being  too  intense  for  that  to  happen. 

There  was  no  door  to  this  house,  but  there  was  quite  a  large  doorway. 
A  hole  was  left  in  the  wall.  It  was  not  more  than  three  feet  high, 
and  everybody,  except  very  little  children  crawled  into  it  on  their  hands 
and  knees.  The  passage  way  was  no  higher,  and  was  about  sixteen 
feet  long,  so  that  this  crawling  back  and  forth  was  somewhat  wearing 
on  the  clothes,  although  the  floor  was  of  ice  and  snow  instead  of  the 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  243 

rough  ground.  This  entrance  was  made  low  and  narrow,  so  as  to 
shut  out  as  much  cold  air  as  possible. 

The  next  thing  was  to  make  a  chimney.  This  was  easy  enough. 
They  simply  cut  a  hole  in  the  roof  of  the  dome  of  snow.  This  con- 
trivance did  not  always  work  well,  as  the  wind  sometimes  blew  the 
smoke  back  into  the  room  as  fast  as  it  came  out  of  it,  but  the  Esqui- 
maux are  used  to  smoke  in  their  houses ;  and,  supposing  it  to  be  one 
of  the  necessary  evils  of  life,  are  quite  content  to  have  it  when  it  can- 
not be  helped. 

Inside  of  this  dome  there  was  one  large,  circular  room.  In  most 
Esquimaux  houses  this  was  reception-room,  dining-room,  bed-room, 
and  kitchen,  all  in  one.  But  a  few  very  elegant  dwellings,  and, 
among  them  Loonerkoo's,  had  curtains  of  skins  hung  up  so  as  to 
make  a  couple  of  bed-rooms. 

It  may  make  you  shiver  when  I  tell  you  how  they  made  their  bed- 
steads. These  were  blocks  of  snow,  making  a  platform  a  couple  of 
feet  high,  and  five  and  six  feet  long.  On  them  whalebones  and  seal 
skins  were  laid  for  mattresses  The  coverlets  consisted  of  nice,  warm 
furs. 

Exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  large  room  a  circular  platform  was 
made  with  blocks  of  snow.  On  this  stood  the  lamp  for  cooking  pur- 
poses, and  over  it  was  a  wooden  scaffolding  on  which  the  cooking 
utensils  were  hung. 

The  lamp  was  nothing  but  a  dish,  filled  with  whale  oil  and  blubber, 
with  a  long  wick  of  dry  moss. 

Around  the  walls  the  weapons  and  clothes  of  the  family  were  hung. 

This  was  all  the  furniture  the  house  contained,  and  it  was  quite 
enough  for  these  simple  people  Warm  clothing,  plenty  to  eat,  and 
comfortable  places  to  sleep  were  all  they  required. 

It  is  difficult  for  us  to  believe  that  these  snow  houses  are  comforta- 
ble, but  they  are  very  warm  indeed;  or,  rather,  I  should  say  they  are 


244  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

the  warmest  houses  that  could  be  made  for  the  very  severe  climate  of 
Greenland.  The  Esquimaux  is  hardened  to  the  cold,  and  can  bear  it 
much  better  than  we  can.  He  wraps  himself  up  in  his  furs,  and  lays 
down  on  his  icy  couch,  and  sleeps  as  peacefully  and  comfortably  as 
we  do  on  our  soft  mattresses, 

It  only  required  a  few  hours  to  build  the  winter  house  of  Looner- 
koo,  and  to  put  it  into  perfect  order. 

A  still  shorter  time  sufficed  for  constructing  his  summer  residence, 
which  was  nothing  more  than  a  large  tent,  made  of  dressed  skins. 

The  Arctic  summer  is  short.  It  really  lasts  only  about  six  weeks. 
For,  after  the  worst  of  the  wintry  weather  is  over,  it  takes  the  sun  a 
good  while  to  melt  the  heavy  masses  of  snow  and  ice,  and  to  send 
them  floating  down  the  rivers  and  bays,  and  out  into  the  ocean,  where 
they  finally  disappear.  This  season  is  scarcely  warm  enough  to  call 
Spring ;  it  is,  more  properly,  the  breaking  up  of  Winter.  It  is  a  time 
when  icebergs  abound,  and  boating  is  a  very  dangerous  amusement. 

But,  after  the  ground  is  freed  from  its  icy  envelope,  everything 
starts  into  life,  and  grows  with  the  most  astonishing  rapidity.  A  plant 
will  spring  up,  grow  two  or  three  feet  high  perhaps,  bud,  blossom, 
and  bear  fruit  in  the  time  our  plants  of  the  temperate  zone  will  be 
producing  a  foot  or  so  of  stalk  and  leaves.  In  a  few  days  after  the 
fir  trees  have  dropped  the  last  of  their  snow-wreaths  their  branches 
will  be  covered  with  delicate  spears  of  fresh  green.  A  field  that  a 
week  or  two  before  was  white  with  snow  will  be  carpeted  with  flowers. 
The  reason  of  this  growth,  which  seems  magical,  is  that  in  the  Arctic 
zone,  after  the  sun  once  gets  well  up  above  the  horizon,  it  stays  up — 
it  does  not  set  again  for  a  long  time,  but  shines  steadily  on,  day  and 
night. 

1  use  the  words  day  and  night  in  the  sense  we  generally  use  them 
to  mark  the  division  of  time  into  twenty-four  hours.  In  our  latitude 
this  division  of  time  also  marks  the  periods  of  light  and  darkness,  but 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO. 


246  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

it  is  not  so  in  the  Arctic  countries.  There,  you  know,  the  day  is  six 
months  long,  and  the  night  six  months.  But  the  Esquimaux  have 
their  regular  times  for  sleeping,  for,  of  course,  they  can't  stay  awake 
six  months,  or  sleep  six  months ;  but  they  naturally  spend  more  time 
in  sleep  in  their  dreary  winter  than  during  their  beautiful  summer. 

It  was  on  Polargno's  sixteenth  birth-day  that  he  had  his  adventure 
with  the  fox.  It  was  mid-winter,  and  consequently  midnight — that 
is  the  middle  of  the  six  months'  night — the  seventh  of  January,  I  think, 
that  his  birth-day  came  around. 

I  don't  know  that  the  Esquimaux  are  in  the  habit  of  remembering, 
or  celebrating  birth-days,  but  it  was  easy  for  Polargno's  parents  to  re- 
member his  birth-day,  because  he  was  the  only  child  they  had.  His 
father,  that  morning,  gave  him  a  bright,  new  hatchet,  that  he  had 
bought  from  the  fur  traders,  and  Polargno  was  so  delighted  with  it 
that  he  started  off  as  soon  as  he  had  his  breakfast  to  use  it  In  making 
a  new  trap,  and  to  mend  his  old  ones,  which  were  getting  to  be  rather 
shaky. 

The  only  persons  he  found  astir  in  the  village  were  two  boys  about 
his  own  age,  and  the  three  proceeded  together  to  inspect  their  traps. 
They  took  no  dogs  with  them,  as  they  were  of  no  use  on  such  an  ex- 
pedition, and  were  apt  to  be  troublesome. 

At  this  season,  trap-making  and  trap-baiting  were  about  the  only 
amusements  that  the  boys  had,  for  the  cold  was  too  severe  for  hunt- 
ing. The  men  of  the  settlement  had  their  traps  too.  These  traps 
were  made  of  different  sizes  and  forms,  and  baited  with  several  sorts 
of  food,  to  attract  all  hungry  animals,  large  and  small,  that  might  be 
prowling  around.  The  Esquimaux  had  many  ingenious  ways  of  con- 
cealing the  traps  from  the  cautious  creatures,  and  thus  leading  them 
suddenly  to  destruction.  The  fur  of  all  the  animals  they  captured  in 
this  way  was  valuable,  and  was  bought  up  readily  by  the  fur  traders 
once  a  year.     But  some  kinds  these  traders  were  very  anxious  to  get, 


THE  STORY  OF  FOLARGNO.  247 

and  paid  for  them  what  to  the  simple  Esquimaux  were  enormous 
prices,  though,  in  reahty,  they  were  almost  nothing  compared  to  the 
prices  these  traders  got  from  the  fur  dealers. 

Among  the  most  valuable  of  these  animals  is  the  silver  fox. 

The  boys  first  visited  their  traps  near  the  village,  but  there  was 
nothing  in  them  ;  and  they  went  on  to  the  more  distant  ones,  which 
were  more  likely  to  have  tenants.  They  were  in  high  spirits  and 
walked  briskly  along  the  shore.  It  was  quite  light,  although  they  had 
not  had  a  glimpse  of  the  sun  for  weeks,  for  the  moon  and  stars  shone 
brightly,  and  the  reflection  from  the  snow  was  brilliant. 

Suddenly  a  red  light  flashed  up  from  the  horizon,  and  ran  across 
the  sky,  quickly  followed  by  other  flashes  of  various  colors.  This  cir- 
cumstance did  not  alarm  the  boys,  for  it  had  happened  often  enough 
before,  and  they  knew  it  to  be  the  commencement  of  what  we  call 
an  Aurora  Borealis,  or  Northern  Lights.  We  see  them  sometimes  in 
this  part  of  the  world,  but  ours  are  very  feeble  compared  to  those  in 
the  Arctic  zone.  This  proved  to  be  such  a  magnificent  display  that 
even  these  Esquimaux  boys  were  touched  with  the  sense  of  its  beauty, 
and  paused  for  awhile,  and  gazed  upward  with  delight.  White,  red, 
yellow,  green  and  blue  lines  crossed  each  other  all  over  the  sky  in  be- 
wildering confusion.  These  would  suddenly  vanish,  and  great  spears 
of  flaming  red  would  stand  marshalled  in  rows.  Then  yellow  and 
green  banners  waved  across  them,  and  extinguished  them,  and  the 
whole  air  seemed  filled  with  undulating  waves  of  color.  Finally,  these 
took  form,  and  hung,  high  up  in  the  vault  of  heaven,  a  gorgeous  ca- 
nopy that  seemed  to  be  formed  of  crystal  pendants,  and  jewelled 
columns,  glittering  with  every  conceivable  shade  and  color.  Every 
peak  and  crag  was  touched  with  light.  Even  the  little  stones  on  the 
beach  gleamed  like  gems. 

The  boys  could  not  have  described  the  scene  to  give  you  any  idea 
of  it,  as  I  have  tried  to  do,  but  they  enjoyed  it.     It  never  occurred  to 


248 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  249 


them  to  ask  what  it  was,  or  where  it  came  from.  They  accepted  it  as 
they  did  their  six  months'  day  and  night,  and  great  snows,  and  volca- 
noes, and  all  the  other  forms  of  Nature.  If  they  thought  about  it  at 
all,  they  probably  supposed  that  all  the  world  was  just  like  Greenland. 

After  a  little  while  they  grew  tired  of  the  Aurora,  and  turned  their 
attention  once  more  to  the  traps.  Polargno's  were  on  a  point  of  land, 
shielded  somewhat  by  a  large  rock.  He  had  no  less  than  four,  and  he 
usually  found  them  all  empty.  As  the  boys  silently  approached  this 
rock  they  caught  sight  of  an  animal,  which  was  circling  about  the  out- 
side of  one  of  the  traps.  A.11  saw  it  at  the  same  Instant,  and  all  knew 
it  to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  their  Arctic  animals.  Their 
seal-skin  boots  had  made  no  noise  on  the  smooth  ice,  and  the  animal 
was  not  aware  of  their  approach.  They  were  not  on  his  windward 
side,  and  therefore  he  was  not  likely  to  detect  them  by  scent.  The 
boys  stood  still  behind  the  rock,  and  cautiously  peered  around  it, 
watching  every  movement  of  the  creature.  They  were  afraid  to  draw 
a  long  breath  lest  he  should  hear  them. 

Polargno's  eyes  gleamed  with  satisfaction.  Here  was  a  prize  in- 
deed !  This  was  a  fine  Arctic  fox,  and  he  had  never  caught  so  valua- 
ble an  animal !  It  was  seldom  that  anybody  did,  for  the  Arctic  fox  is 
quite  as  wise  and  cautious  as  his  brethren  of  warmer  climes.  He  im- 
agined himself  returning  to  the  village  with  this  trophy,  and  thought 
with  pride  of  the  excitement  he  would  cause,  and  how  the  people 
would  gather  around  him,  and  congratulate  him,  and  how  the  fur 
traders  would  praise  him.  And  then  he  began  to  think  what  fine 
things  he  would  get  from  them  in  exchange  for  the  skin. 

But  still  he  was  anxious ;  for,  all  this  time,  the  animal  was  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  trap.  If  he  did  not  go  inside  of  it,  farewell  to  Pol- 
argno's visions,  for  the  boys  had  no  guns,  and  they  would  not  have 
done  much  with  them,  if  they  had  had  them,  for  they  were  not  skilful 
in  the  use  of  firearms.     The  animal  was  evidently  suspicious  of  the 


250  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

fir  boughs  thrown  so  carelessly  down,  and  lightly  covered  with  snow  ; 
but  he  was  also  very  hungry,  and  eager  for  the  food  under  this  ar- 
rangement. His  hunger  proved  too  great  for  his  prudence,  and,  after 
investigating  the  trap  on  all  sides,  and  thinking  over  the  matter  for  a 
time  that  seemed  very  long  to  the  watching  boys,  he  cautiously  placed 
one  foot  over  the  spot  where  the  bait  lay.  This  was  enough.  Click 
went  a  wooden  spring,  concealed  among  the  branches,  and  down  went 
the  fox  through  a  wooden  trap  underneath,  that  snapped  together 
again,  and  shut  him  in. 

"  Hi,"  cried  Polargno,  as  he  rushed  out  from  behind  the  rock,  fol- 
lowed by  both  boys.  But  he  was  in  too  great  a  hurry.  He  stumbled 
over  a  stone.  His  feet  went  up  into  the  air,  and  his  back  and  head 
went  crashing  down  into  the  trap,  sending  fir  boughs  and  splints  of 
wood  flying  in  all  directions. 

The  fox  snapped  at  him,  but,  fortunately  missed  his  face ;  and  hav- 
ing snipped  a  little  piece  out  of  the  boy's  ear,  evidently  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  running  away  was  better  than  revenge.  He  there- 
fore ran  over  Polargno's  prostrate  body,  and  up  his  elevated  legs,  and, 
making  a  tremendous  spring  from  the  quivering  feet,  he  darted  away 
at  his  utmost  speed. 

The  boys  left  Polargno  to  get  out  of  his  trap  as  best  he  could,  and 
immediately  gave  chase  to  the  fox.  But  they  knew  it  was  useless. 
They  might  as  well  try  to  catch  the  wind.  If  they  had  brought  the 
dogs  the  fox  would  probably  have  had  the  worst  of  it.  But,  as  it  was, 
he  escaped — hungry,  but  safe. 

This  was  Polargno's  adventure  with  the  fox. 

The  next  summer,  Polargno  had  a  very  surprising  adventure  with 
a  seal.  He  was  in  a  cave  alone  on  the  bay.  He  had  paddled  out  a 
short  distance  from  the  shore  because  he  had  nothing  else  to  do  just 
then.  He  paddled  up  and  down  until  he  got  tired,  and  then  he  rested 
on  his  oars,  and  looked  about  him.     The  scene  was  very  different 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO. 


251 


from  what  it  had  been  when  he  and  the  fox  had  caught  each  other. 
Now  the  bay  was  entirely  free  from  ice,  and  the  waves  leaped  and 
danced  as  if  rejoicing  to  be  free  once  more.  There  was  not  a  cloud 
in  the  sky,  where  the  sun  shone  brightly  far  above  the  horizon  in  the 
same  place,  apparently,  that  it  had  been  for  several  days  and  nights. 
Flowers  bloomed  in  the  grassy  fields,  birds  perched  upon  the  rocks, 
and  the  noise  of  insects  could  be  faintly  heard, 


SUMMER-TIME. 

But  a  Greenlander  is  never  free  from  the  sight  of  snow;  and,  even 
now,  in  midsummer,  every  high  mountain  peak  had  its  white  cap;  and 
on  the  tallest  mountains  the  snow  extended  far  down  the  sides. 

Polargno  took  pleasure  in  the  summer  warmth  and  life,  but  1  do 
not  suppose  he  thought  much  about  the  objects  he  saw  around  him. 
His  mind  was  busy  with  the  prospect  of  the  good  time  he  would  have 


252 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


when  two  whaling  ships  that  were  cruising  some  miles  below  in  the  bay, 
should  come  up  as  high  as  their  settlement.  There  was  a  report,  too, 
that  a  large  school  of  whales  was  making  its  way  northward. 

Thinking  of  these  things  while  he  idly  looked  about  him,  he  sud« 
denly  felt  that  he  was  being  lifted  into  the  air.  Before  he  could  re- 
cover from  his  surprise  at  this  rapid  elevation  he  found  that  his  canoe 
was  being  borne  swiftly  over  the  surface  of  the  water.  Instinctively 
he  tightened  his  hold  upon  the  paddle  that  he  might  not  lose  it,  and  this 
action  caused  one  end  of  it  to  strike  an  animal  under  the  boat,  which 
immediately  flapped  itself  free,  and  rolled  off  to  a  little  distance,  where 
it  remained,  as  motionless  as  a  log,  evidently  waiting  to  see  what 
would  happen  next. 

The  thing  that  came  near  happening  was  the  upsetting  of  Polarg- 
no's  canoe,  for  the  blow  it  received  from  the  flap  of  the  creature's  tail 
sent  it  spinning  around  like  a  top.  Polargno  would  not  have  been 
much  alarmed  if  it  had  upset,  for  he  could  swim  like  a  fish ;  but  still 
he  was  very  glad  it  remained  right  side  up. 

As  soon  as  he  could  gather  together  his  scattered  wits  he  found 
that  the  animal  which  had  given  him  this  unceremonious  ride  was  not 
a  sea-lion,  as  he  had  at  first  supposed,  but  a  large  specimen  of  the 
common  seal.  Its  bouncing  up  under  his  boat  was  an  unpremeditated 
act  on  the  part  of  the  seal,  who  was  quite  as  much  alarmed  as  the  boy, 
and  quite  as  glad  to  get  away. 

But  should  he  get  away?  This  question  came  into  Polargno's 
mind.  The  Esquimaux  boats  at  this  season  were  kept  prepared  for 
whaling  expeditions,  and  in  the  bow  of  this  one  there  laid  a  harpoon 
with  a  nice  long  coil  of  rope.  The  boy  glanced  from  this  to  the  shi- 
ning back  of  the  seal  that  lay  so  temptingly  just  above  the  surface  of 
the  water.  He  knew  all  about  seals.  He  had  helped  kill  many  a 
one.  That  was  very  different  from  fighting  one  entirely  alone,  but 
then  the  glory  would  be  so  much  greater  if  he  conquered. 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  253 

A  seal  is  a  timid  animal,  but  when  brought  to  bay  it  can  fight  boldly 
and  fiercely  enough,  and  Polargno  knew  well  that  there  was  a  chance 
of  his  coming  to  grief  if  he  once  began  the  combat.  But  then  again 
the  glory  was  so  much  the  greater  if  he  conquered. 

He  wished  to  wipe  out  the  memory  of  his  ridiculous  adventure  with 
the  Arctic  fox,  which  had  brought  upon  him  the  laughter  of  the  whole 
village,  and  was  a  joke  against  him  to  that  very  day. 

These  thoughts  passed  swiftly  through  his  mind,  and  he  made  his 
determination.  He  cautiously  paddled  towards  the  seal,  but  this  act 
alarmed  the  creature,  and  it  sank  into  the  water  out  of  sight.  Po- 
largno knew  it  would  come  up  again  to  breathe,  and  he  uncoiled  the 
harpoon  line,  and  held  the  weapon  all  prepared  to  throw.  Meantime 
the  canoe  drifted  down  to  the  very  spot  where  the  seal  had  sunk,  and 
Polargno  looked  down  into  the  deep  green  water,  thinking  he  might 
see  it  coming  up.  But  it  rose  in  an  entirely  different  place,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  boat,  and  at  quite  a  distance.  Polargno  was  by  no 
means  sure  of  his  aim  in  making  such  a  long  throw ;  but,  putting  him- 
self into  the  attitude  he  had  seen  experienced  harpooners  assume,  he 
sent  the  harpoon  whizzing  through  the  air  with  a  straight,  steady  mo- 
tion that  carried  it  with  a  wide  sweeping  curved  line  into  the  back  of 
the  seal,  just  above  the  tail. 

Down  into  the  water  went  the  animal  with  a  rush  that  made  Po- 
largno's  canoe  reel  and  dance.  If  it  had  been  a  small  whale,  or  even 
a  sea-lion,  that  the  boy  had  undertaken  to  capture  in  this  fashion,  it 
would  have  dragged  down  the  canoe,  harpoon,  rope,  and  all,  leaving 
to  Polargno  the  pleasant  task  of  swimming  home  and  telling  the  news. 
But  the  seal  was  not  quite  strong  enough  for  this,  though  it  did  its 
best ;  and,  each  time  that  it  rose  to  the  surface  after  "  sounding,"  Po- 
largno wound  the  line  tighter  and  tighter  around  the  strong  supports 
to  which  it  was  fastened.  In  this  way  he  brought  the  seal  nearer  and 
nearer  the  canoe.     By  the  time  its  strength  was  pretty  well  spent  it 


254  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

had  so  short  a  line  that  it  could  dive  only  a  few  feet  below  the  surface. 
And  then  Polargno  began  to  wonder  how  he  should  get  it  to  the  shore 
when  it  was  dead.  It  would  be  too  heavy  a  body  for  him  to  manage 
alone,  and  there  was  no  one  in  sight  on  the  shore  to  whom  he  could 
call  for  help.  He  did  not  wish  to  cut  the  body  adrift,  for  then  he  was 
not  likely  to  get  it  again. 

Suddenly  there  flashed  into  his  mind  a  brilliant  thought  The  seal 
should  take  itself  to  the  shore,  and  take  him  too!  He  seated  himself 
firmly  in  the  boat,  and  took  up  the  paddle.  With  this  he  hit  the  seal 
a  whack  on  the  side,  and,  in  darting  away  to  the  opposite  direction 
from  the  blow,  the  animal  headed  for  the  shore.  It  could  not  dive, 
but  it  made  a  grand  rush  through  the  water,  drawing  the  boat  swiftly 
along.  A  few  such  rushes  brought  it  to  the  shore.  Whenever  it 
made  a  turn  to  the  right  or  left,  the  paddle  reminded  it  to  keep  the 
straight  path.  Polargno  had  never  heard  of  Neptune's  chariot  with 
its  dolphin  steeds,  and  was  therefore  unconscious  that  he  was  work- 
ing out  a  poetical  idea,  but  he  was  very  proud  of  the  success  of  his 
stratagem,  especially  as  it  possessed  an  element  of  danger.  If  his 
charger  had  taken  it  into  its  head  to  back  against  the  boat,  and  to 
give  it  a  blow  with  its  tail,  it  would  have  stove  it  in,  and  if  it  had  given 
Polargno  a  whack  at  the  same  time  it  would  probably  have  killed  him. 
But  the  seal  was  too  weak  from  loss  of  blood,  or  too  ignorant  to  think 
of  any  such  revenge,  and  rushed  upon  the  beach  at  last,  dragging  Po- 
largno's  boat  up  with  such  violence  that  he  was  shot  out  of  it  in  a 
twinkling. 

He  fell  upon  the  soft  sand  and  was  not  hurt.  When  he  stood  upon 
his  feet  he  found  that  his  father,  and  one  of  the  neighbors  had  come 
to  the  shore  to  look  after  the  boats,  and  had  witnessed  the  last  part 
of  his  extraordinary  journey.  He  was  very  glad  of  this,  for  he  had 
thought  his  story  would  not  be  believed  in  the  village. 

The  seal  was  soon  killed,  and  yielded  a  good  deal  of  oil  and  blubber. 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  255 

After  this,  the  people  of  the  village  looked  upon  Polargno  as  a  very 
clever  and  brave  fellow,  and  they  laughed  at  him  no  more  about  the 
trick  the  fox  had  played  him. 


AFTER  THEM   CAME   THE   WHALING   SHIPS. 

In  due  course  of  time,  the  whales  came  up,  and,  after  them  came 
the  whaling  ships.  There  were  whales  enough  for  both  the  Esqui- 
maux and  the  whalers.  The  former  laid  in  large  supplies  for  winter 
use,  and  the  latter  loaded  their  ships  with  oil.  But  the  fishing  was  so 
very  good  that  one  of  the  whalers  staid  rather  late  for  such  a 
very  northern  latitude.  From  time  to  time  the  captain  had  resolved 
to  go,  but  a  fresh  temptation  in  the  shape  of  a  big  whale  would  induce 
him  to  defer  his  departure ;  and  the  last  of  September  found  the  ship 
still  cruising  about  in  that  latitude. 

By  that  time  the  whales  were  gone,  and  the  vessel  was  full,  and 
they  were  really  on  the  point  of  departure,  when,  unfortunately,  there 
came  upon  them  a  few  days  of  excessively  cold  weather  that  was 
very  unusual  so  early  in  the  season.  In  a  short  time  the  bay  was 
frozen,  and  the  vessel  tightly  enclosed  in  the  ice.  The  sailors  now 
began  seriously  to  fear  that  they  would  have  to  winter  in  that  dread- 
ful climate,  when,  to  their  joy,  the  weather  moderated  somewhat,  and 


256 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  257 

the  ice  broke  up.  They  soon  found,  however,  that  this  condition  of 
things  was  worse  than  the  other,  for  there  was  great  danger  of  the 
ship  being  crushed  by  the  huge  masses  of  loose  ice  that  pressed  upon 
it  on  every  side.  The  crew  worked  hard  to  save  the  ship,  but  it  is 
doubtful  whether  they  would  have  succeeded  had  it  not  been  for  the 
help  of  the  friendly  Esquimaux,  who  did  everything  in  their  power  for 
their  visitors. 

At  one  time,  they  all  gave  up  the  ship  as  lost.  The  ice  closed 
around  them  with  such  a  crushing  force,  that  the  captain  and  crew 
tied  to  the  shelter  of  the  Esquimax  snow  houses,  where  they  were 
most  hospitably  received,  and  preparations  were  made  to  entertain 
them  all  winter. 

But  the  vessel  escaped,  it  seemed,  almost  by  a  miracle,  and  the  crew 
returned  to  it  very  soon.  Then  the  ice  broke  up  into  smaller  pieces 
and  drifted  away  towards  the  open  sea,  and  the  ship  prepared  to  fol- 
low as  soon  as  the  channel  should  be  sufficiently  open.  The  Esqui- 
maux bade  farewell  to  the  whalers,  and  went  off  on  an  expedition, 
partly  for  hunting,  but  chiefly  to  gather  in  their  dogs  and  reindeer 
under  shelter  for  the  winter,  leaving  a  few  old  men  and  boys  to  guard 
the  settlement. 

Polargno  happened  to  be  one  of  the  boys  left  behind.  The  day 
after  the  expedition  started  he  walked  down  to  the  shore  to  see  if  the 
bay  was  sufficiently  open  for  the  ship  to  start  on  its  voyage.  He 
found  that  the  vessel  was  enclosed  in  thin  ice  which  extended  for 
quite  a  distance  beyond  in  a  solid  sheet.  But,  as  the  weather  was 
still  moderating,  this  ice  would  probably  break  up  in  a  few  hours. 
Some  sailors  were  packing  up  their  things  in  a  tent  they  had  occu- 
pied on  the  shore.  They  evidently  expected  certainly  to  get  away 
this  time.  But,  before  Polargno  reached  the  place,  they  ran  out  of  the 
tent,  and  down  towards  the  beach  with  exclamations  of  horror.  Polargno 
ran  after  them,  and  soon  discovered  the  cause  of  their  excitement. 
17 


258  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Lower  down  could  be  seen  the  open  sea,  and,  rising  and  falling  on 
the  waves  were  blocks  of  ice,  some  large  and  some  small.  On  one  of 
the  largest  floes  stood  a  sailor,  trying  to  ward  off  the  attack  of  a  polar 
bear.  The  bear  had  evidently  just  arrived  upon  the  scene,  and  was 
walking  around  the  man,  preparatory  to  making  a  rush  upon  him.  If 
he  once  closed  with  the  sailor  there  was  small  chance  of  the  latter 
escaping  with  his  life.  The  ice  floe,  on  which  they  both  stood,  was 
now  almost  stationary,  having  become  wedged  in  a  mass  of  light,  loose 
pieces  that  were  swaying  back  and  forth  on  the  water. 

Having  taken  in  this  situation  at  a  glance,  Polargno  did  not  hesitate 
an  instant,  but  ran  down  the  shore  at  his  best  speed  to  a  spot  opposite 
the  ice-fioe.  The  four  sailors  followed,  but  they  could  not  equal  the 
speed  of  the  Esquimaux  boy,  and  when  they  arrived  he  had  taken  off 
his  outer  suit  and  boots,  retaining  only  his  in-door  suit,  and  light  seal- 
skin boots.  The  sailors  could  not  imagine  what  the  boy  was  about, 
but  their  attention  was  absorbed  in  their  comrade  who  was  in  such 
deadly  peril,  and  they  paid  little  heed  to  Polargno.  Two  of  them  had 
guns,  but  they  found  to  their  dismay,  that  these  were  of  no  use.  The 
distance  was  too  great  for  them  to  aim  at  any  particular  spot  of  the 
beast's  body,  and  a  polar  bear  is  very  hard  to  kill,  unless  a  vital  part 
is  struck.  If  he  were  only  wounded  he  would  be  so  infuriated  that  the 
sailor's  case  would  be  hopeless.  And,  besides,  the  bear  was  now 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  block  of  ice,  and  was  thus  partly  covered 
from  their  fire  by  the  man's  body. 

All  this  had  passed  in  the  space  of  a  very  few  minutes ;  and  now, 
while  they  were  wondering  what  they  could  do,  and  watching  for  a 
chance  to  fire,  the  sailors  suddenly  discovered  that  the  Esquimaux 
boy  was  far  on  his  way  to  the  help  of  their  comrade.  He  had  mad^, 
no  boast  of  what  he  was  going  to  do.  He  had  asked  for  no  help. 
He  f:new  they  could  not  give  him  any.  The  thin  cakes  of  ice,  which 
dipped  into  the  water  under  his  light  tread,  would  have  sunk  with 


THE  STORY  OF  POLARGNO.  859 

the  weight  of  one  of  the  sailors.  He  saw  that  a  fellow-creature  was 
in  danger  of  being  killed  by  a  ferocious  animal ;  and,  at  once,  without 
a  care  for  his  own  personal  safety,  he  went  to  the  rescue.  He  had, 
in  his  belt,  his  knife  and  his  hatchet,  and,  on  these,  and  his  dexterity 
and  quickness,  and  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  polar  bears,  he  relied 
for  success. 

The  sailors  watched  him,  full  of  admiration  for  his  courage,  and  for 
his  skill  in  jumping  the  floating  cakes  of  ice  that  one  would  scarcely 
expect  to  bear  the  weight  of  a  bird.  He  seemed  to  select  the  largest 
and  strongest  pieces,  by  a  sort  of  quick  instinct,  and  bounded  from 
one  to  another  as  lightly  as  a  cat.  A  foot  went  into  the  water  at 
nearly  every  step,  but  he  did  not  sink. 

Meantime  the  bear  had  advanced  upon  the  sailor,  who,  it  now  was 
seen,  had  a  knife  in  his  hand,  prepared  to  do  his  best. 

The  Esquimaux  boy  had  now  reached  the  pack  of  loose  ice  against 
which  the  ice  floe  had  rested.  This  was  firm,  and  he  paused  an  in- 
stant, before  springing  on  to  the  floe.  The  sailors  thought  his  cour- 
age had  failed  at  the  last  moment.  But  no!  Polargno  knew  there 
was  no  time  to  lose,  and  he  required  only  this  instant  to  see  where  he 
could  best  strike  the  bear.  There  was  no  vital  part  at  which  he 
could  get  a  good  stroke.  All  he  could  do  at  first  was  to  divert  the 
bear's  attention  from  the  sailor  to  himself. 

He  threw  his  hatchet  straight  at  the  side  of  the  bear  that  was  ex- 
posed to  him.  It  sank  through  the  tough  skin  into  the  flesh,  but  the 
wound  was  not  a  very  severe  one.  The  astonished  animal  turned, 
and,  seeing  the  boy  who  had  now  sprung  upon  the  ice  floe,  not  a 
dozen  yards  from  him,  he  made  towards  this  new  comer  in  a  great 
rage. 

But  Polargno  was  ready  for  him.  He  sprang  aside,  and  quickly 
struck  his  knife  into  the  side  of  the  bear.  The  animal  fell,  but  was 
not  killed,  and  it  tried  to  stagger  up  again ;    but,  by  this  time,  the 


26o  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

sailor  had  recovered  his  senses,  for  he  had  stood  apparendy  stupefied 
when  the  bear  left  him.  He  now  came  to  the  boy's  assistance,  and, 
together,  they  soon  put  an  end  to  their  formidable  foe. 

Polargno  pulled  off  his  hood,  and  waved  it  in  the  air,  and  shouted 
"Hurrah!"  This  word  and  action  he  had  learned  from  the  sailors. 
By  this  time  the  whole  crew  had  come  down  from  the  ship,  and  they 
also  joyfully  waved  their  hats,  and  shouted  "Hurrah!" 

But  the  two  must  be  taken  off  the  ice-floe  before  it  went  sailing 
out  into  the  sea.  The  pack  of  ice  was,  even  now,  moving  faster,  and 
gave  signs  of  breaking  up.  So  a  boat  was  got  down  from  the  ship 
as  speedily  as  possible,  and  some  of  the  sailors,  steering  in  and  out 
of  the  floating  ice,  went  to  their  relief,  and  took  them  safely  to  the 
shore.  They  intended  to  leave  the  carcass  of  the  bear,  but  it  went 
to  Polargno's  heart  to  see  so  much  good  meat  wasted,  and  he  begged 
so  hard  for  it,  that  the  sailors  waited  long  enough  to  tow  it  to  shore, 
though  they  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  back  before  the  upper  ice  field 
broke  up. 

You  may  wonder  how  the  sailor  and  the  bear  got  off  on  this 
ice-floe  together;  as  you,  no  doubt,  feel  sure  they  did  not  make  an 
appointment  to  meet  there.  The  sailor  told  how  he  came  there.  It 
happened  this  way :  The  day  before,  he  had  lost  a  small  wallet,  con- 
taining some  of  his  valuables,  among  the  Ice  hummocks  near  the 
shore.  As  soon  as  he  discovered  his  loss  he  searched  for  the  bag, 
and  his  companions  aided  him.  It  could  not  be  found,  and,  this  day, 
while  the  men  were  occupied  in  packing  up  the  last  of  their  effects, 
he  went  out  on  the  ice  to  look  once  more  among  the  hummocks  for 
his  wallet.  He  wandered  some  distance  out,  but  the  ice  was  solid 
and  firm.  Suddenly  he  heard  a  noise  like  a  sharp  thunder  clap,  and 
the  next  instant  he  was  floating  out  into  the  open  sea,  with  blocks  of 
ice  swirlino-  and  tumbling  about  him  in  all  directions.  The  ice  had 
broken  loose,  and  there  was  no  way  for  him  to  reach  the  shore.     He 


THE  STORY  OF  POLAR GNO.  261 


called  and  shouted,  but  his  cries  did  not  reach  the  ship,  or  the  men  in 
the  tent.  He  was  afraid  the  floe  he  was  on  would  go  to  pieces 
before  he  could  be  rescued,  and  he  knew  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  swim  through  the  masses  of  loose  ice.  His  swift  course  was 
fortunately  arrested  by  the  ice-pack,  and  he  hoped  there  would 
be  time  to  rescue  him  before  it  was  all  swept  away  by  the  waves,  as 
he  was  sure  he  must  soon  be  missed  by  his  companions  in  the  tent. 
Just  as  he  was  comforting  himself  with  this  thought,  he  turned,  and 
saw  a  large  polar  bear  sitting  upon  its  haunches  very  near  him,  and 
regarding  him  attentively. 

As  the  polar  bear  is  dead,  and  as  he  was  not  able  to  tell  his  own 
story,  either  living  or  dead,  in  any  language  that  we  could  understand, 
I  cannot  inff^rm  you  how  he  came  to  be  sailing  out  to  sea  on  a  cake 
of  ice.  But  there  he  was,  and  gready  alarmed  was  the  sailor  when 
he  caught  sight  of  him.  He  had  the  presence  of  mind,  however,  not 
to  make  any  sudden  motion,  and  hoped  by  keeping  very  still,  to  per- 
suade the  bear  that  he  was  only  an  inanimate  object.  But  the  crea- 
ture knew  better  than  that.  It  is  probable  he  had  been  observing 
the  sailor  for  some  time,  and  the  reason  the  man  did  not  notice  the 
beast  was  because  it  was  so  nearly  the  color  of  the  ice  hummocks. 
It  soon  crossed  over  to  his  ice-floe,  and  it  was  then  that  the  men  in 
the  tent  first  saw  what  had  happened  to  their  companion. 

You  may  be  sure  the  sailor  was  deeply  grateful  to  the  Esquimaux 
boy.  He  had  nothing  to  give  his  preserver,  but  he  wanted  to  take 
him  home  with  him  to  New  England,  and  take  care  of  him  ever  after. 
But  nothing  would  induce  Polargno  to  leave  his  beloved  Greenland. 
The  captain,  and  such  of  the  crew  as  had  anything  to  give,  loaded 
Polargno  and  his  parents  with  gifts.  The  parents  took  them  all,  but 
I  think  they  were  very  much  surprised  at  this  munificence,  and  at  the 
praise  that  the  white  men  showered  upon  the  boy  for  his  brave  deed. 
They  were  very  much  pleased  that  he   should  have  behaved   so  well 


262 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


when  called  upon  to  do  his  duty;  but  it  did  not  occur  to  them,  appar* 


THE  ICEBERGS  CLOSED  AROUND  THE  SHIP. 


THE  STORY  OF  FOLARGNO. 


2O3 


ently,  that  he  could  possibly  have  done  otherwise  than  he  did,  though 
they  admitted  that  it  was  a  bold  deed  to  go  out  single-handed  to  fight 
a  polar  bear.  The  Esquimaux  are  a  very  brave  people.  Courage  is 
such  a  common  quality  among  them  that  it  excites  no  surprise.  But, 
of  all  their  foes,  the  one  they  dread  most  is  the  polar  bear.  But  then 
here  was  a  man  in  danger  of  being  killed  by  a  bear,  and  the  boy  went 
to  his  assistance  as  a  matter  of  course.  That  was  the  way  they  looked 
at  it. 

They  all  had  plenty  of  time  to  talk  this  over,  for  the  ship  did  not 
get  away  for  a  week  after  the  hunting  party  returned.  The  ice  closed 
around  it  again  ;  and  again  the  sailors  made  up  their  minds  to  winter 
there.  The  Esquimaux  had  told  them  of  two  ships  that  had  remained 
there  too  late  the  years  before,  and  had  become  enclosed  in  ice- 
bergs. Great  masses  of  these  icy  mountains,  descended  upon  the 
doomed  ships.  The  crews  worked  hard  to  get  the  ships  free,  even 
dragging  them  out  from  among  the  icebergs  on  one  occasion  with 
ropes.  But  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  vessels  were  destroyed,  and 
the  crews  lost  all  they  had.  The  Esquimaux  took  them  in  their  sledges 
to  a  lower  settlement,  where  they  found  a  whaling  ship  that  conveyed 
them  home.  The  ships  were  probably  all  gone  now,  and  if  this  vessel 
was  in  like  manner  destroyed,  these  sailors  would  be  compelled  to  stay 
all  the  season  with  the  Esquimaux. 

But,  one  day,  the  ice  broke  up  with  a  great  noise,  and  disappeared 
as  suddenly  as  it  came,  and  the  vessel  sailed  out  of  the  bay  in  a  clear 
channel,  the  sailors  having  promised  to  return  next  year  if  they  could. 

And,  in  a  short  time,  snow  and  ice,  and  winter,  and  darkness  en- 
veloped the  place. 

But  the  Esquimaux  did  not  care.  They  were  used  to  it.  They  did 
what  work  they  could.  They  had  abundant  stores  for  the  winter. 
And  they  sat  around  their  lamps,  and  told  stories  of  the  wonderful 
adventures  they  had  passed  through,  or  heard  of. 


264 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


Polargno,  we  are  agreed,  is  not  handsome  to  our  American  eyes ; 
and  he  does  not  know  how  to  read  and  write  ;  and  never  even  heard  of 
geography  and  arithmetic.  And  yet,  I  wonder  how  many  well-taught 
American  boys  would  so  bravely  and  unselfishly  risk  their  lives  to 
save  the  life  of  another. 


TURTLES  AND  THEIR  EGGS. 


265 


TURTLES  AND  THEIR  EGGS. 


MATAMATA   TURTLE. 


How  would  you  like  this  pretty  creature  for  a  pet  ?  He  can  be  do- 
mesticated, and  will  stay  with  you  very  contentedly,  if  you  put  him  in  a 
place  where  he  can't  get  away.  If  you  leave  an  open  gateway,  how- 
ever, the  chances  are  he  will  walk  out  of  it  some  day,  and  return  no 
more.  He  does  not  go  away  because  he  is  tired  of  being  petted,  for 
he  likes  that ;  or  because  he  does  not  like  you,  for  perhaps,  in  his 
heart,  (if  he  has  one)  he  is  sorry  to  part  from  you.  He  goes  simply 
because  he  can.  This  restless  disposition  moves  him  to  extend  his 
travels ;  and,  no  doubt,  he  intends  to  return  at  some  future  day.  But 
he  never  does. 


266  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

If  you  have  him  in  any  place  where  he  can  do  mischief  you  had  bet- 
ter keep  an  eye  on  him ;  otherwise  he  will  be  poking  his  long  nose 
into  things  that  do  not  concern  him  in  the  least. 

His  two  ends  are  not  well  balanced,  his  neck  being  so  very  long, 
and  his  tail  so  very  short !  The  fringe-like  appendage  hanging  from 
his  neck  gives  it  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  great  centipede. 

His  small  eyes  have  not  a  very  intelligent  expression,  but  our  ma- 
tamata  has  quite  sense  enough  to  take  very  good  care  of  himself. 

His  shell  is  really  very  pretty.  It  looks  as  if  it  were  hung  loosely 
upon  him  for  a  canopy,  and  as  if  he  might  be  just  as  well  off  without 
it,  especially  as  it  must  be  somewhat  heavy  to  carry  around  on  all  oc- 
casions. But,  if  you  consulted  him  upon  the  matter  of  removing  it, 
he  would,  at  once,  object.  Probably  he  would  draw  his  long  neck  in- 
stantly within  his  shell,  leaving  not  so  much  as  the  tip  of  his  sharp 
nose  visible ;  then  he  would  whisk  in  his  ridiculous  tail ;  and,  lastly,  in 
would  go  his  fat  legs  and  feet ;  and  there  he  would  have  as  tight  and 
snug  a  house  as  possible. 

Did  you  ever  eat  any  turtles'  eggs  ?  If  not,  I  advise  you  to  do  so 
on  the  first  opportunity,  for  they  are  very  good. 

The  turtles  lay  their  eggs  in  the  sand  that  the  heat  of  the  sun  and 
sand  combined  may  hatch  them  at  the  proper  time.  As  soon  as  they 
are  hatched  the  young  turtles  make  their  way  to  the  water,  where 
they  know  how  to  provide  their  own  living,  without  instruction.  But, 
in  the  warm  countries,  where  turtles  abound,  it  is  a  wonder  that  any 
young  ones  manage  to  get  out  of  their  eggs. 

For  the  eggs  are  esteemed  such  a  luxury,  that,  as  soon  as  the  lay- 
ing season  of  the  turtles  is  over,  the  natives  turn  out  in  great  numbers, 
and  search  the  sands  for  eggs,  which  they  collect  by  the  thousands,  for 
sale,  and  for  their  own  eating. 

It  is  at  this  laying  season  that  the  South  American  Indians  capture 
great  numbers  of  turtles.     The  turtles  come  out  of  the  water  at  night, 


TURTLES  AND  THEIR  EGGS. 


.67 


1illlli!III!!fl'';!fllliil!'!!!i«l!!!ll!i!i!ii^^^^ 


iP" 


268  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

in  crowds,  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  their  eggs.  They  dig  tren- 
ches in  the  sand ;  and,  having  placed  their  eggs  in  these,  and  covered 
them,  they  all  make  a  grand  rush  back  to  the  water.  Then  the  In- 
dians, who  are  on  the  watch,  run  after  them,  seize  as  many  as  they 
can  get  hold  of  by  the  tails,  and  throw  them  over  on  their  backs.  In 
this  position  a  turtle  is  helpless,  and  the  Indians  can  easily  kill  them. 

The  flesh  is  excellent  food ;  but  what  the  Indians  chiefly  desire  to 
possess  is  the  fine  yellow  fat  with  which  the  turtles  are  well  supplied. 
From  this  fat  the  Indians  manufacture  a  superior  kind  of  oil,  for  which 
they  find  a  ready  sale. 

If  these  turtles  were  as  large  as  some  of  the  West  Indian  turtles 
that  have  been  brought  to  this  country,  the  Indians  would  not  have  an 
easy  task  In  turning  them  over. 


A  FEW  VOLCANOES. 


209 


A  FEW  VOLCANOES. 

A  MOUNTAIN  with  its  great  cone  smoking  like  a  chimney,  or  sending 
up  into  the  clouds  a  grand  sheaf  of  flame,  must  be  a  splendid  sight, 
and  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  But  when  it  begins  to  pour  forth  ri- 
vers of  hot  lava  it  is  time  to  get  entirely  out  of  sight  of  it,  if  you  can. 
For  these  streams  of  lava  are  sometimes  very  long. 


RIVER   OF   RED-HOT   LAVA  FROM  MOUNT  ETNA. 

A  hundred  years  ago  Etna  poured  forth  such  an   immense  river  of 
fiery  stones,  and  liquid  lava,  and  threw  it  out  with  such  violence  that 


27© 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


it  rushed  in  cascades  and  whirling  torrents  for  fifteen  miles,  burning 

up  everything  in  its  course,  until  it  finally  plunged  into  the  sea. 

This  volcano  has  an  eruption  once  in   a  while,  but  does   not  often 

give  the  world  such  a  ter- 
rible one  as  this.  Some- 
times the  lava  only  de- 
stroys the  fields  and  vine- 
yards near  the  mountain. 
It  is  a  small  volcano,  but 
it  has  done  a  good  deal  of 
^  s^^^^^^  damage.  Two  hundred 
\  *       '      Y         "^^VH^H    y^^^s  ago   it  entirely  de- 

f  .11.    \    \.jt^    -<"<S'^^^^H    stroyed  the  town  of  Ca- 

tania. 

At  a  short  distance  from 
it  stands  another  small  vol- 
cano, which  is  famous  for 
the  ruin  it  has  caused.  You 
have  no  doubt  read  of  the 
destruction  of  the  city  of 
Pompeii;  and  how  it  was 
entirely  buried  under  the 
ashes  thrown  from  Vesu- 
vius during  an  eruption. 
Nearly  everybody  in  the 
place  at  that  time  perished, 
and  now  people  have  to 
dig  many  feet  under  the 
ground  to  find  the  houses 
of    the    buried    city.       A 

smaller   city  in  the   neighborhood,  Herculaneum,  was  buried  at  the 

same  time,  by  the  shower  of  ashes. 


ERUPTION  OF   COTOPAXI   IN    I74I. 


A   FEW  VOLCANOES.  271 


This  happened  eighteen  hundred  years  ago.  But  Vesuvius  has 
not  been  quiet  ever  since  that  time.  There  have  been  several  erup- 
tions. In  1 794  it  hurled  out  torrents  of  fire  from  its  top  wh'ch  rolled 
over  a  town,  a  few  miles  distant,  and  burned  it  into  ruins.  Strange 
to  say,  the  town  was  rebuilt;  and,  a  few  years  ago,  Vesuvius  visited 
it  again  with  a  fiery  flood,  which,  however,  only  destroyed  part  of  the 
town. 

A  very  much  larger  volcano,  Cotopaxi,  has,  at  different  times,  had 
most  frightful  eruptions,  but  on  account  of  its  situation,  has  not  done 
so  much  damage  as  Etna  and  Vesuvius. 

Just  before  an  eruption  occurs  dull  roars  are  heard  inside  of  the 
mountain,  which  seems  to  shake  with  the  action  of  the  lava  boiling  up 
within  it.  Presently  columns  of  smoke  shoot  up,  then  sheafs  of  flame 
rise  into  the  air  with  masses  of  cinders,  and  burning  rocks.  And 
then  the  lava-streams  pour  over  the  sides,  and  roll  down  into  the 
plains. 

Some  volcanoes  are  always  smoking  when  not  in  active  eruption, 
but  the  active  volcanoes  usually  take  long  rests.  The  people  who 
live  on,  or  near  these  burning  mountains  rely  upon  this  fact  for  safety. 
But  it  is  not  a  very  safe  reliance,  for  their  periods  of  rest  are  very  ir- 
regular ;  and  they  may  break  forth  when  least  expected. 

The  greater  number  of  these  mountains  throw  out  flames 
and  lava,  but  some  send  out  hot  mud  instead,  and  others  boiling 
water. 

There  are  volcanoes  that  seem  to  have  burned  themselves  out,  and 
are  said  to  be  extinct.  Men  can  go  down  into  the  craters  of  these, 
from  whence  the  flames,  and  lava  formerly  issued,  and  examine  them. 
Some  of  these  immense  holes,  or  craters  are  now  filled  with  forests,  and 
in  others  there  are  lakes.  Others  again  are  nothing  but  rocky 
ravines. 

Orizaba,  in  Mexico,  is  an  extinct  volcano,  with  a  monstrous  crater. 


272  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Persons  standing  on  the  opposite  sides  of  this  crater  can  barely  see 
each  other,  the  distance  between  them  is  so  great. 


CRATER  OF  ORIZABA. 

The  small  volcanes  are  more  active  than  the  large  ones.  Little 
Stromboli  is  nearly  always  sending  up  flames,  while  the  lofty  Cotopaxi 
is  quiet  sometimes  for  a  century. 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED  BOTANIST  273 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED   BOTANIST. 

The  learned  Mr.  Nathaniel  P.  Reed,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a 
man  well  known  to  all  the  botanical  and  agricultural  societies  of  the 
civilized  world,  had,  in  the  course  of  some  thirty  years  spent  in  patient 
and  careful  investigation  into  the  structure  and  habits  of  plants,  ac- 
quired the  power  of  completely  abstracting  his  mind  from  all  its  sur- 
roundings while  engaged  in  his  favorite  pursuit.  This  was  often  a 
very  fortunate  thing  for  him.  But  then,  again,  sometimes  it  was  very 
unfortunate. 

He  traveled  everywhere,  searching  for  specimens  of  plants.  He 
never  seemed  to  get  tired  of  this  study.  Over  hot,  sandy  deserts,  and 
through  savage  forests  he  went  undaunted ;  and,  if  he  found  a  new 
flower,  or  tree,  he  felt  he  was  fully  rewarded. 

At  last,  he  reached  Cape  Town  in  Southern  Africa,  a  region  he  had 
never  before  visited.  A  party  of  European  hunters  was  just  on  the 
point  of  starting  on  an  expedition  into  the  woods  and  jungles,  and,  in 
an  evil  hour  for  them,  asked  Mr.  Reed  to  join  them.  He  at  once 
accepted  the  invitation,  for  it  was  a  fine  opportunity  to  hunt  up  new 
plants. 

I  say  it  was  in  an  evil  hour  that  the  hunters  asked  him  because  he 
gave  them  so  much  trouble  through  his  absent-mindedness.  He  was 
a  very  entertaining  traveling  companion  when  not  engaged  in  his  bo- 
tanical studies,  and  so  good-humored,  and  obliging  that  his  comrades 
did  not  grumble  very  much  at  the  trouble  he  gave  them.  But,  never- 
theless, he  did  cause  them  great  anxiety,  for  they  found  out  that  when 
he  was  searching  for  plants,  or  had  a  flower  in  his  hand  analyzing  it, 
he  would  put  himself  into  situations  of  great  peril  without  knowing 
anything  about  it.  And  so,  at  least  one  of  their  number  always  had 
to  be  on  the  lookout  for  Mr.  Reed,  to  keep  him  out  of  mischief. 
18 


274  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

For  one  thing,  he  would  stray  away  from  the  main  body.  This  was 
against  the  rules  of  the  expedition,  for,  in  a  forest  full  of  wild  beasts 
it  was  necessary  to  keep  together.  Generally,  when  he  wandered  oH 
this  way,  he  would  be  missed,  and  brought  back  before  he  had  got  en- 
tirely out  of  sight.  But,  on  three  occasions,  he  managed  to  get  lost, 
without  intending  anything  of  the  kind,  and  each  time,  he  met  with  a 
remarkable  adventure. 

The  party  had  been  out  but  a  few  days  when  he  was  lost  for  the 
first  time.  He  must  have  been  absent  two  hours,  when  his  compan- 
ions first  missed  him.  At  least  no  one  could  remember  having  seen 
him  for  that  length  of  time.  What  might  not  have  happened  to  him 
in  those  two  hours,  everywhere  surrounded  by  dangers  ?  They  'm- 
mediately  commenced  the  search  for  him. 

They  went  back  over  the  route  they  had  traveled,  and,  at  last,  found 
the  place  where  Mr.  Reed  had  left  the  caravan.  They  knew  it  by  the 
trampled  bushes,  and  by  the  twigs  broken  off  here  and  there,  and 
plants  pulled  up  by  the  roots.  Following  these  marks  of  his  progress 
they  suddenly  came  out  upon  the  banks  of  a  river.  And  there  they 
saw  the  botanist.  And,  at  the  same  time,  all  were  struck  with  hor- 
ror at  his  situation.  He,  alone,  was  happily  serene,  unconscious  that 
any  danger  was  near  him. 

Seated  on  a  mossy  bank,  in  the  midst  of  tall  reeds,  on  a  peninsula 
that  extended  pretty  far  out  into  the  river,  was  their  botanist.  He  had 
an  umbrella  over  his  head  to  shield  him  from  the  sun,  and  was  busily 
engaged,  arranging  some  "  specimens"  in  his  book  of  plants,  which  he 
called  an  Herbarium.  His  back  was  towards  the  river,  and  so  ab- 
sorbed was  he  in  his  occupation  that  he  had  not  discovered  that  a 
whole  colony  of  crocodiles  had  come  to  pay  him  a  visit.  Neither  did 
he  hear  or  see  his  companions  although  his  face  was  turned  directly 
towards  them. 

The  crocodiles  had  arranged  themselves  in  a  long  row,  with  their 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED   BOTANIST. 


2/5 


heads  above  the  water,  watching  the  bocanlst  with  great  interest,  and 
evidently,  meditating  an  attack  upon  him.  How  long  they  had  been 
there  could  not,  of  course,  be  known,  but,  in  a  few  moments  after  the 
hunters  appeared  upon  the  scene,  the  nearest  crocodile  seemed  to 
have  made  up  his  mind  that  a  botanist  was  good  to  eat,  and  made 
straight  towards  the  land,  followed  by  another  huge  beast. 


THE   UNCONSCIOUS   MR.  REED. 

Mr.  Reed  continued  calmly  to  arrange  his  specimens. 

Two  men  from  the  hunting  party  at  once  rushed  forward  upon  ttie 


2  76  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

peninsula,  and  fired  upon  the  crocodiles.  It  was  quite  time,  for  two 
of  the  foremost  ones  had  reached  the  land.  They  rolled  over  into  the 
water,  and  all  of  the  great  beasts  at  once  disappeared  under  the  sur- 
face of  the  river. 

The  shots  did  arouse  Mr.  Reed's  attention,  or  else  he  had  finished 
his  work ;  for  he  looked  up,  and  said  to  his  companions,  who  now 
surrounded  him: 

"  I  have  found  one  of  the  rarest  of  plants — the  Iscodextiana — and  it 
has  twelve  stamens,  just  as  I  have  always  maintained." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  would  have  agreed  with  the  stomach  of  a  crocodile  !" 
said  one  of  the  hunters. 

Mr.  Reed  was  so  alarmed  at  the  account  of  the  peril  to  which  he 
had  exposed  himself,  that  it  was  a  long  time  before  he  again  wandered 
from  the  caravan.  The  party  had  then  formed  a  camp  on  what  was 
considered  good  hunting  ground — that  is  in  a  forest  frequented  by 
wild  beasts.  The  hunters  were  successful  in  killing  a  good  many  of 
these,  and  enjoyed  the  dangerous  sport  very  greatly.  Meanwhile  Mr. 
Reed  continued  his  peaceful  hunting  of  the  wild  flowers,  which  grew 
all  around  in  the  most  lavish  profusion. 

There  were  always  some  men  left  in  the  camp  to  guard  it.  One 
day,  when  the  hunters  had  returned,  and  were  gathering  around 
the  supper  table,  they  missed  Mr.  Reed.  On  questioning  the  men 
who  had  had  charge  of  the  camp,  they  could  not  remember  when  they 
had  last  seen  him.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  wandered  off  to  a  dis- 
tance. If  he  got  into  one  of  his  fits  of  abstraction  there  was  no  know- 
ing when  he  would  ever  find  out  he  was  lost,  and  try  to  get  back 
again. 

Hastily  swallowing  some  supper,  a  party  of  men  went  out  in  search 
of  the  lost  botanist,  but  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  camp  without 
him,  for  night  came  on,  and  the  darkness  was  intense,  and  they  could 
not  continue  the  search. 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED  BOTANIST.  277 

They  retired  to  rest  with  heavy  hearts,  for  they  greatly  feared  their 
very  troublesome  but  very  pleasant  companion  would  fall  a  prey  to 
some  wild  beast.  The  sentinels  on  guard  kept  peering  out  into  the 
black  forest,  hoping  to  see  the  figure  of  their  missing  companion. 
They  kept  up  great  fires  as  beacons  to  guide  him  to  the  camp. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  the  whole  camp  was  aroused  by  the  cries 
of  the  sentinels.  The  forest  to  the  south  of  them  was  on  fire.  The 
wind  was  high,  and  as  there  were  many  dead  trees,  and  a  great  deal  of 
dry  wood  lying  on  the  ground,  the  fiames  spread  with  great  rapidity. 
The  hunters  were  not  afraid  that  it  would  come  their  way,  as  the  wind 
blew  it  in  an  opposite  direction.     So  they  enjoyed  the  grand  spectacle. 

In  an  hour  the  fire  had  extended  through  the  woods  for  several 
miles.  The  howls,  and  shrieks,  and  bellowings  of  hyenas,  jackals, 
lions,  and  tigers  filled  the  air,  as  the  frightened  animals  rushed  out  of 
the  flaming  forest.  A  huge  black  form  would  sometimes  loom  up 
against  the  red  sky,  and  then  seem  to  sink  away  into  the  darkness. 
This  was  an  elephant  seeking  refuge  from  the  flames. 

The  hunters  had  watched  the  conflagration  some  time,  when  they 
saw  the  figure  of  a  man  running  towards  them  from  the  burning  woods. 
It  was  Mr.  Reed  !  He  had  not  been  able  to  find  the  camp,  he  said, 
until  the  fiery  forest  had  made  everything  so  bright  that  he  clearly  saw 
the  huts  and  tents  from  a  long  distance. 

It  appeared  that  he  had  lost  his  way  while  botanizing,  but  had 
started  on  his  return,  confident  he  could  follow  his  own  trail  back. 
But  he  soon  saw  what  he  considered  to  be  a  flower.  If  so,  it  was 
larger  than  any  known  to  botanists.  However  he  was  not  sure  but  it 
might  be  a  brilliantly  colored  mushroom.  He  forgot  everything  while 
examining  this,  until,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  he  could  not  see  it. 
Night  had  come  on !  He  collected  a  quantity  of  dry  wood  into  a 
heap,  and  taking  a  match  from  his  pocket  applied  it  to  the  wood, 
"inis  gave  him  a  bright  light  for  the  further  examination  of  the  plant. 


278 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


He  did  not  know  how  long  it  was  after  this  that  he  discovered  he 
was  nearly  surrounded  by  burning  wood,  and  that  the  forest  was  roar- 
ing and  crackling  in  front  of  him.     He  beat  a  retreat  with  all  speed. 


THE  FOREST  FIRE. 

And  so   it  was,  our  absent-minded  botanist  who   had  got  up  this 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED  BOTANIST.  279 

mighty  conflagration,  and  frightened  all  the  wild  beasts  out  of  their 
senses.  It  was  lucky  for  him  that  he  lighted  the  fire,  otherwise  it  is 
more  than  probable  some  one  of  the  wild  beasts  would  have  made 
short  work  of  him  in  the  course  of  the  night. 

His  next  adventure  was  a  very  serious  one,  and  yet  it  was  very 
funny  too.  It  happened  when  the  expedition  was  returning  to  Cape 
Town.  By  that  time  Mr.  Reed's  herbarium  was  filled  with  specimens. 
It  was  of  more  value,  he  said,  than  diamonds.  He  expected  to  aston- 
ish and  delight  the  scientific  world  with  that  book  of  plants.  He  would 
never  trust  it  to  any  one  else  for  more  than  a  few  moments  at  a  time. 
He  slept  with  it  under  his  pillow. 

And  yet  he  allowed  this  precious  book  to  be  stolen  from  him. 

And  by  whom  ? 

By  a  baboon ! 

In  one  of  his  fits  of  abstraction  he  had  again  wandered  out  of  sight 
of  his  companions.  He  had  the  herbarium  open,  and,  as  he  walked 
along,  was  studying  his  contents.  Suddenly  a  great,  black,  hairy  paw 
was  thrust  right  under  his  nose,  and  the  book  snatched  out  of  his 
hand  in  a  twinkling. 

Looking  up,  he  saw  in  the  tree  far  above  his  head,  a  large  baboon, 
grinning  and  chattering,  and  turning  over  the  leaves  of  his  beloved 
herbarium  with  no  gentle  hand.  But  Mr.  Reed  had  no  idea  of  losing 
his  book,  and  Immediately  began  to  climb  the  tree.  The  baboon 
grasped  his  stolen  property,  firmly,  and  swung  himself  lighdy  to  the 

next  tree.  .      1   tv/t     t^      j 

Seeing  the  folly  of  attempting  to  follow  the  animal,  Mr.  Reed  re- 

turned  to  his  companions,  finding  his  way  with  some  difficulty;  and 

Implored  them  to  recover  for  him  this  lost  treasure. 

They  laughed  at  him,  but  good-naturedly  accompanied  him  to  the 

place   of  the  theft,  though  they  did  not  expect  to  find   the   monkey 

there ;  much  less  did  they  suppose  the  book  to  be  still  entire. 


28o 


TALES   OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


But,  on  reaching  the  spot,  there,  on  a  low  branch  of  a  tree,  was  the 
baboon,  busily  engaged  in  turning  the  book  over  and  over,  as  if 
anxious  to  make  out  what  manner  of  thing  he  had  got  hold  of. 


THE  COMBAT  WITH  THE  BABOON. 


He  did  not  take  any  notice  of  the  party  of  men,  and  it  would  have 


THE  ABSENT-MINDED  BOTANIST.  281 

been  easy  to  have  shot  him.  But  the  botanist  made  this  impossible, 
for  no  sooner  did  he  get  a  sight  of  the  thief,  thus  displaying  his  booty, 
than  he  rushed  forward  to  seize  his  precious  volume ;  in  this  way  get- 
tinof  between  the  o-un  and  the  animal. 

The  baboon,  instead  of  retreating,  as  he  had  done  before,  sprang  to 
the  ground,  and  rushed  upon  the  botanist.  A  fierce  battle  ensued. 
Sometimes  the  baboon  was  uppermost,  and  sometimes  Mr.  Reed. 
But  the  monkey  had  weapons  in  its  claws,  whereas  the  man  had  no- 
thing but  his  fists,  and  great  physical  strength.  The  hunters  tried  to 
shoot  the  baboon,  but  this  they  found  they  could  not  do  without  dan- 
ger to  Mr.  Reed. 

Finally  one  of  them,  watching  his  chance,  when  the  beast  was  up- 
permost, split  its  head  with  a  hatchet,  and  ended  the  combat. 

Early  in  the  fight  Mr.  Reed  had  got  hold  of  his  book.  It  was  some- 
what crushed,  and  a  few  of  the  specimens  destroyed,  but,  on  the  whole, 
it  was  in  pretty  good  condition. 

This  was  the  last  serious  adventure  that  befell  Mr.  Reed.  He  met 
with  some  mishaps,  but  these  he  did  not  mind,  and  soon  forgot  them 
after  his  return  to  Cape  Town,  where  he  had  the  pleasure  of  showing 
his  beloved  herbarium,  and  of  describing  to  his  friends  the  plants  he 
had  found,  and  their  characteristics. 


t> 


282 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


SOMETHING  TRUE  ABOUT  THE  MOON. 


THE  FULL  MOON. 


SOMETHING  TRUE  ABOUT  THE  MOON.  283 

i>'  another  part  of  this  book  I  told  you  something  about  the  moon, 
which  did  not  even  pretend  to  be  true.  No  body  can  go  to  the  moon, 
although  very  many  people  have  traveled  more  miles  than  the  dis- 
tance between  the  earth  and  its  lunar  companion.  Any  one  who  has 
sailed  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  and  back  forty  times  has  gone 
over  a  greater  distance  than  that  from  here  to  the  moon,  which  is  less 
than  240,000  miles  away. 

Many  a  sea-captain  has  sailed  more  miles  than  these.  A  ship  came 
into  New  York  Bay  very  recently  that  had  sailed,  in  one  voyage  over 
110,000  miles. 

But  we  cannot  visit  the  moon  because  there  is  no  atmospheric  air 
between  that  planet  and  the  earth.  If  air  existed  in  this  vast  space 
in  which  a  balloon  might  float,  and  which  a  man  might  breathe,  I  think 
that  some  of  us  would  manage  to  get  to  the  moon  before  any  one 
reaches  the  North  Pole.  The  journey  would  be  longer,  but  there 
would  be  no  ice  to  block  up  the  way. 

But  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  we  cannot  go  to  the  moon,  we 
know  a  great  deal  about  that  planet,  especially  as  it  affects  the  earth. 
And  with  the  great  telescopes  that  have  been  constructed,  in  late 
years,  we  can  see  much  of  the  general  configuration  of  that  side  of  the 
moon  which  is  turned  towards  us,  and  it  appears  very  like  the  picture 
at  the  head  of  this  article.  Here  we  see  depressions  and  elevations, 
and  plain  surfaces  which  may  be,  and  probably  are,  mountains  and 
beds  of  dried  up  oceans  and  vast  plains,  which,  in  all  probability,  are 
barren  and  desolate. 

For  sciendfic  men  feel  quite  certain  that  the  moon  has  no  atmos- 
phere, and  of  course  if  there  is  no  air,  we  have  no  reason  to  suppose 
that  there  is  any  life  there. 

But  our  principal  interest  in  the  moon  relates  to  its  effects  upon 
ourselves,  and  our  own  planet,  and  therefore  we  should  all  understand 
it  ^s  we  see  and  enjoy  it  from  our  stand-point. 


284  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

We  all  know  that  sometimes  the  moon  is  full  and  bright,  flooding 
the  earth  with  its  lovely  light,  and  that,  at  other  times  it  is  quite  dim, 
just  a  curved  strip  of  light  in  the  sky,  and  at  still  other  times  it  seems 
to  be  absent  altogether. 

Though  we  have  noticed  all  this,  it  is  very  probable  indeed  that 
some  of  us  do  not  entirely  understand  these  changes,  and  so  I  shall 
briefly  explain  them. 

When  we  cannot  see  the  moon  at  all,  which  is  the  case  for  two  or 
three  days  every  month,  it  is  because  the  sun  is  not  shining  on  that 
side  of  the  moon  which  is  turned  to  us.  And  we  might  as  well  re- 
member that  although  the  moon  moves  around  the  earth  once  every 
four  weeks,  it  always  turns  the  same  side  to  us.  We  never  have  seen 
the  other  side,  with  telescopes,  or  in  any  other  way. 

When  the  moon  is  between  us  and  the  sun,  the   side  towards  us 
must  of  course  be  dark.     Then  it  is  that  we  do  not  see  the  moon  at  all. 
But  as  the  moon  moves  gradually  to  one  side  we  begin  to  see  a  lit- 
tle strip  of  the  bright  portion  as  you  notice  in  Fig.  i.     This  represents 
the  moon  in  its  first  phase. 

I  suppose  you  have  noticed  at  such  times, 
when  the  new  moon  is  very  small,  that  we  can 
often  see  the  whole  disk  of  the  moon,  although 
the  principal  portion  of  it  is  very  dim  indeed. 
Still  we  can  see  a  faint  light  shining  upon  it 
which  makes  it  comparatively  easy  for  us  to 
discern  its  outlines. 

This  pale  light  is  "  earth-light."  The  earth 
is  then  '*  full "  to  the  moon-folk,  (if  there  be 

FIG.   I.  FIRST  PHASE  OF  MOON.  ,  ,  ....  .     v 

any  such  creatures  who  can  live  without  air,) 
and  its  brilliancy  is  partially  reflected  back  to  us  from  the  surface  of 
the  moon. 

The  bright  portion  of  the  moon  now  grows  larger  and  larger  until, 


SOMETHING  TRUE  ABOUT  THE  MOON. 

in  about  seven  or  eight  days,  we  see  it  as 
it  is  shown  in  Figure  2.  Then  it  is  said  to  be 
in  its  first  quarter. 

At  this  time  the  spots  and  various  mark- 
ings on  its  surface  are  generally  seen  very 
distinctly. 

For  seven  days  the  bright  portion  of  the 
moon  continues  to  grow  larger  and  larger, 
and  during  a  part  of  this  time  it  presents 
the  appearance  shown  in  Figure  3. 

At  last,  after  about  fifteen  days  of  active 
increase  of  bright  surface  the  moon  reaches 
that  point  where  the  sun  shines  directly  upon 
the  side  presented  to  the  earth,  and  then  it 
is  "full  moon."  Of  course  it  must,  at  this 
time,  be  on  the  side  of  the  earth  farthest  from 
the  sun  so  that  the  sun  can  shine  on  it,  and  at 
the  same  time,  we  can  see  it. 

Figure  4  is  a  small  picture  of  the  full  moon 

But  the  moon  does  not  remain  full  very 
long,  as  many  of  us  who  delight  in  moonlight 
rambles,  and  boat-rides,  know  to  our  sorrow. 
It  soon  begins  to  wane,  and  then  assumes 
very  much  the  same  forms  that  it  presented 
when  on  the  increase,  with  this  difference;  its 
lighted  portion  is  always  turned  the  other  way. 

It  now  rises  later  and  later.  When  it  was 
full  it  rose  at  about  the  time  that  the  sun  set, 
and  set  about  sunrise.  But  now  it  rises  later  and  later  until  at  last 
it  rises  just  before  the  sun,  and  is  of  course  soon  invisible  in  his 
brighter  rays. 


riG.  3.  BETWEEN  FIRST  QUARTER 
AND  FULL  MOON. 


FIG.  4.  THE  FULL  MOON. 


286  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

Figures  5,  6  and  7  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  various  phases  as- 
sumed by  die  moon  when  in  its  wane,  or  decrease. 


FIG.  5.  BETWEEN  FULL  MOON         ^^^    ^    ^^^^  QUARTER.        ^^^-  7-   BETWEEN  LAST  QUARTER 
AND  LAST  QUARTER.  '  '  '  AND  NEW  MOON. 

So  now  we  have  seen  the  moon  In  its  various  phases,  which  Is  no- 
thing more  than  we  can  see  in  the  heavens  when  the  sky  is  clear,  but 
it  is  better  always  to  understand  what  we  see. 

We  should  remember,  then,  that  one  half  of  the  moon  is  always 
bright.  When  it  Is  between  us  and  the  sun  (not  on  an  exact  line, 
however,  for  that  would  rnake  an  eclipse  of  the  sun)  we  cannot  see  it 
at  all,and  then  we  say  "  there  is  no  moon  to-night."  When  it  moves 
around  so  that  we  can  see  a  little  of  the  bright  side,  it  is  "  new  moon," 
and  when  it  gets  around  behind  us,  so  to  speak,  so  that  we  can  see 
the  sun  shining  full  upon  one  side  of  it,  it  is  "  full  moon." 

If  one  of  us  could  live  upon  that  part  of  the  surface  of  the  moon 
that  Is  always  turned  toward  us,  he  could  see  the  same  changes  taking 
place  upon  our  planet  as  we  see  on  the  moon. 

There  would  be  "  new  earth,"  and  "  quarter  earth,"  and  "  full  earth," 
which  last  would  be  truly  grand  ! 

Think  of  a  bright  orb  of  light  In  the  heavens  fourteen  times  larger 
than  the  full  moon,  and  you  will  have  an  Idea  of  how  our  earth  would 
sometimes  appear  to  observers  on  the  moon, — were  there  any  one 
there  to  see. 


A   VOYAGE    TO  THE  LOWER  AMAZON.  287 


A  VOYAGE  TO  THE  LOWER  AMAZON. 

In  another  part  of  this  volume  there  is  an  adventure  related  by  Mr. 
Moore,  in  which  he  encountered  a  snow  storm  in  a  tropical  country. 

Mr.  Moore  had  spent  the  earlier  part  of  his  life  in  South  America; 
and,  in  after  years,  he  was  very  fond  of  talking  about  these  youthful 
days  with  his  son  George,  who  was  a  delighted  listener  to  the  travels 
and  exploits  of  his  father. 

On  one  occasion  Mr.  Moore  gave  George  an  account  of  the  first 
voyage  he  took  on  the  lower  part  of  the  Amazon  river,  and  I  think 
it  will  prove  almost  as  full  of  interest  to  my  readers  as  it  was  to  George 
Moore. 

So  here  it  is. 

"  I  had  made  up  my  mind,"  said  Mr.  Moore,  "  to  overhaul  the  boat 
of  Miguel  Espartero.  He  was  a  Spanish  South  American,  and  cap- 
tain of  the  sloop  Bella  Donna,  which  sloop,  I  had  been  told,  was  to 
start  that  very  day  on  its  voyage  down  the  river  to  Para,  to  which 
place  it  was  conveying  coffee  and  chocolate,  the  produce  of  the  river 
farms. 

"  I  had  some  acquaintance  with  Captain  Espartero  ;  and  I  knew  he 
did  not  want  me  on  his  sloop,  and  I  guessed  the  reason.  His  ideas 
of  hospitality  would  compel  him  to  offer  me  his  state-room,  and  he 
feared  I  would  accept  the  offer.  That  was  the  reason  he  pretended 
not  to  see  me  when  I  first  came  in  sight  of  him  in  the  gapo.  He 
rowed  with  all  his  might  and  main,  without  turning  his  head  in  my  di- 
rection. But  I  thought  if  I  could  overtake  him,  and  convince  him  I 
did  not  want  his  state-room,  he  would  be  very  glad  of  my  company. 

"  So  I  bribed  my  Indian  rower  to  his  best  speed.  The  captain's 
boat  was  several  lengths  ahead,  and  was  lighter  than  ours,  but  he  was 


288 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


A   VOYAGE  TO  THE  LOWER   AMAZON.  289 

not  as  much  accustomed  to  rowing  as  my  Indian,  and  I  felt  pretty  sure 
of  overtaking  him  in  the  gapo. 

"  What  is  a  gapo  ?"  said  George. 

"At  certain  seasons  the  Amazon  river  overflows  its  banks  ;  and  the 
forest  land,  covered  by  the  waters,  is  called  a  gapo,  and  Captain  Espar- 
tero  was  rowing  through  one  of  these  to  get  to  his  sloop  in  the  open 
river,  and  I  was  following  him,  I  was  afraid  he  would  hoist  sail,  and 
away  before  I  could  reach  the  sloop,  so  I  made  up  my  mind  to  over- 
haul his  boat. 

"We  overtook  him  after  a  little  rapid  rowing,  and  I  made  a  bargain 
with  him  to  take  me  down  the  river.  He  was  in  a  hurry,  he  said,  but 
I  was  all  ready ;  and  in  half  an  hour  we  were  on  board  the  Bella  Donna." 

"Why !"  exclaimed  George,  "that  is  the  name  of  a  medicine  !" 

"The  sloop  was  not  named  after  the  medicine,  but  Bella  Donna  is 
Spanish  for  Beautiful  Lady. 

"For  several  hours  we  drifted  with  the  tide,  which  was  running  pretty 
fast;  and  then  we  stopped  at  a  town  to  take  on  some  chocolate. 
Here  there  were  farm-houses  on  both  banks  of  the  river — low  white- 
washed buildings,  looking  very  picturesque  in  the  midst  of  the  pretty 
cacao  or  chocolate  trees. 

"  After  leaving  here,  our  progress  was  very  slow  ;  and,  before  nighty 
we  came  to  a  dead  stop.  Our  pilot  had  steered  us  upon  a  sand-bank! 
There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  wait  for  the  tide  to  float  us  off.  For- 
tunately we  could  go  to  sleep,  and  we  did. 

"  It  was  a  warm  night,  and  I  wrapped  myself  in  my  cloak,  and  laid 
down  on  some  cushions  on  the  deck.  After  a  long  time  I  was 
awakened  by  a  splashing  noise,  and,  lying  quite  still  in  the  moonlight, 
I  listened.  There  seemed  to  be  many  creatures  swimming  around 
our  sloop.  And  then  I  plainly  smelled  a  musky  odor.  I  knew  by  that 
sign  who  our  visitors  were.  I  got  up  and  looked  over  the  side  of  the 
vessel. 
19 


290  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

"  Yes,  there  they  were  !  I  was  sure  of  it !  Their  long,  villainous- 
looking  heads  were  thrust  out  of  the  water,  as  if  enjoying  the  moon- 
light. These  were  several  alligators  looking  for  something  to  eat,  no 
doubt,  and  I  was  very  glad  they  were  not  going  to  have  a  chance  to 
eat  me.  I  was  safely  out  of  their  reach  on  the  deck  of  the  sloop,  but  the 
idea  of  having  so  many  of  these  disgusting  and  ravenous  beasts  so  near 
me  disturbed  my  rest  for  a  long  time.  So  that  my  first  night  on  the 
sloop  was  not  particularly  pleasant. 

"  But  the  second  was  worse.  We  floated  off  the  sand-bar  about 
daybreak,  and  made  very  good  progress  through  the  day.  Very  early 
in  the  night  I  retired  to  my  little  room  in  the  cabin,  and  was  soon 
sound  asleep. 

"  After  some  time  I  awoke.  I  was  conscious  of  a  disagreeable  sen- 
sation. I  soon  found  that  my  hammock  was  rocking  at  a  furious  rate. 
Presently  it  gave  a  tremendous  lurch,  and  banged  my  head  against 
the  wall.  With  some  difficulty  I  managed  to  get  out  of  the  hammock, 
and,  as  soon  as  I  put  my  feet  on  the  floor,  I  fell  down.  The  room  was 
pitchy  dark,  and  the  vessel  was  evidently  very  pitchy  too,  though  in  a 
different  way.     On  the  deck  there  was  a  great  trampling  of  feet. 

"  I  scrambled  up  in  haste,  and  was  eager  to  get  out  of  the  cabin, 
and  to  see  what  had  happened.  But  I  could  not  find  the  door.  I  felt 
around  the  walls,  but  the  door  seemed  to  have  vanished.  I  imagined 
that  the  ship  was  on  fire  and  that  I  should  be  burned  up  in  that  little 
cell.  I  kicked,  and  pounded,  and  shrieked  ;  and,  after  a  long  time,  the 
uproar  I  made  was  heard  on  deck.     Somebody  came,  and  let  me  out. 

"  Then  I  found  that  a  fearful  storm  was  upon  us.  The  scene  had 
been  entirely  changed  in  an  hour.  All  day  it  had  been  calm.  There 
was  not  breeze  enough  to  move  a  sail,  and  scarcely  to  ruffle  the  water. 
Now  the  wind  was  blowing  violently,  bending  the  trees  until  it  seemed 
as  if  they  would  be  torn  up  by  the  roots.  The  air  was  filled  with 
whirling  leaves.     The  river  was  lashed  into  waves,  and  white  with 


A    l^OVAGE   TO  THE  LOIVER   AMAZOA 


291 


292  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

foam.     The  lightning  was  almost  incessant,  sometimes  in   blinding 
sheets,  and  sometimes  with  flaming  lines  crossing  each  other. 

"  The  sloop  was  flying  over  the  waves  as  gaily  as  a  bird.  There 
was  not  a  thread  of  canvas  out.  We  were  rushing  along  under  bare 
poles. 

"  The  Indian  sailors  were  of  no  use  whatever — worse  than  useless, 
for  they  were  in  an  agony  of  terror.  They  were  all  in  the  shrouds 
and  rigging,  holding  on  for  dear  life.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  pilot, 
the  captain,  and  one  white  sailor,  I  don't  know  what  would  have  be- 
come of  us. 

"  The  captain  assured  me  there  was  no  danger,  so  I  secured  myself 
on  deck,  and  watched  the  tempest,  admiring  the  fine  display  it  made, 
but  wishing  from  my  heart  it  would  stop.  For  I  preferred  the  cer- 
tainty of  safety  to  the  captain's  assurance  that  we  were  safe, 

"  Fearing  that  the  wind  would  blow  me  off  the  slippery  deck,  I  had 
tied  one  end  of  a  rope  around  the  mast,  and  the  other  end  around  my 
waist.  I  suppose  I  did  not  tie  it  firmly,  for  the  rope  slipped  from  me  ; 
and  I  felt  that  I  was  sliding  swiftly  over  the  wet  deck,  on  my  way  to 
the  river.  The  sloop  was  tipped  up  at  such  a  high  angle  I  could 
not  save  myself  I  gave  a  shriek ;  there  was  a  crash ;  and  down  I 
went  into  the  raging  waters  ! 

"  For  an  instant  I  had  no  sensation  but  that  of  terror.  Then  the 
horror  of  my  situation  forced  me  to  think  how  to  save  myself  I  was 
in  the  midst  of  this  boiling  river,  at  the  mercy  of  the  furious  waves, 
and  still  more  furious  wind.  The  vessel  was  going  at  a  frantic  speed, 
and  would  soon  be  far  away  from  me.  At  such  a  time  I  would  not 
be  missed ;  and,  even  if  I  were  my  companions  could  not  save  me. 
They  could  do  nothing  except  to  throw  me  a  rope,  and  try  to  hold 
me  up  until  I  could  get  to  the  ship's  side,  when  there  was  a  possibility 
they  might  haul  me  up.     But  all  this  was  not  probable. 

'These   thoughts  flew  through  my  mind  in  a  moment.     Then  I 


A   VOYAGE  TO  THE   LOWER  AMAZON.  293 

found  I  was  close  to  the  ship,  but  I  could  not  see  distinctly.  The 
lightning  flashes  seemed  to  have  grown  very  faint,  and  everything 
was  obscure.  The  only  thing  I  could  do  was  to  try  to  get  up  the 
ship's  side,  and  I  made  a  desperate  clutch  at  it.  My  hands  failed  to 
get  hold  of  anything,  and  down  I  went  into  the  water  again.  But  I 
did  not  sink.  I  seemed  to  be  borne  up  on  the  top  of  the  waves  all 
the  time.  But,  of  course,  I  did  not  reflect  upon  the  strangeness  of 
this.  I  made  another  attempt  to  scramble  up  the  side  of  the  sloop  ; 
and  this  time,  I  caught  hold  of  an  iron  ring ! 

"  How  desperately  I  clutched  it !  And  how  I  shrieked  for  help  ! 
But  the  gale  made  such  a  noise  no  one  heard  me.  I  found  to  my 
surprise  that  the  rolling  of  the  vessel  dipped  only  my  feet  in  the  water, 
and  that  the  waves  did  not  dash  over  me.  My  situation  then  did  not 
seem  to  be  quite  so  hopeless,  and  I  redoubled  my  cries  for  help. 

"  Soon  I  heard  the  gruff  voice  of  the  Captain  calling  down  to  me : 

•  What  is  the  matter  there  ?'  " 

*"  I  am  overboard,  and  drowning,'  I  shrieked  in  reply. 

"  Upon  this  instead  of  lowering  a  rope,  he  extended  me  his  hands, 
and  helped  me  up — out  of  the  cabin! 

"  The  crash  I  had  heard  was  the  cabin  hatchway,  and  I  had  fallen 
through  it  into  the  room  below,  and  into  about  two  feet  of  water ! 
The  iron  ring  was  a  hammock  ring.  No  wonder  I  did  not  see  the 
lightning  flashes  down  in  that  hole. 

"  The  raging  waves,  and  the  tossing  about  in  the  wind,  and  the  vessel 
scudding  away  from  me  had  only  existed  in  my  imagination.  I  was  so 
certain  that  I  had  fallen  into  the  river  that  I  imagined  the  rest. 

"The  tempest  soon  ceased,  but  not  the  laugh  at  me.  That  lasted 
all  the  way  to  Para.  Somehow  my  adventure  seemed  more  ridiculous 
to  the  Captain  and  the  sailors  than  it  did  to  me ! 

"We  had  lovely  weather  during  the  remainder  of  our  trip.  Our  Bel- 
la Donna  behaved  very  well  except  that  she  would  get  on  a  sand-bar 


294 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


STILL  WATERS. 


A   VOYAGE  TO  THE  LOWER   AMAZON.  295 

occasionally.  This  was  partly  the  pilot's  fault,  and  partly  the  fault  of 
the  river  in  having  so  many  sand-bars. 

Did  not  the  Captain  try  to  get  his  sloop  off  the  sand-bars  ? '  George 
inquired, 

"Yes,  the  sailors  would  try  to  work  the  vessel  off,  sometimes  get- 
ting into  the  water,  and  working  like  Trojans.  But  they  never  did  get 
her  off;  and  we  would  just  stick  there  until  the  next  tide  which  inva- 
riably floated  us  on  our  way. 

"I  took  advantage  of  these  detentions  to  visit  the  shores,  and  ex- 
plore the  country.  In  this  way  I  became  acquainted  with  some  very 
strange  Indian  tribes.  But  I  saw  nothing  of  the  Amazons — the  female 
warriors  you  have  read  of.  Nor  did  I  meet  with  any  one  who  ever  had 
seen  any  of  them.  I  did  find  a  ruined  fortress,  but  I  never  heard  that 
the  Amazons  had  anything  to  do  with  fortresses.  They  trusted  to 
their  bows  and  spears. 

"  In  the  place  of  these  warlike  females  are  gentle,  inoffensive  Indian 
women,  who  will  sell  you  delicious  fruits,  or  make  you  a  hammock  for 
a  small  sum  of  money,  or  a  few  ornaments. 

"  Immense  forests  stretch  along  both  banks,  filled  with  luxuriant 
vegetation.  To  a  resident,  a  trip  on  the  river,  sailing  between  these 
lines  of  forests,  is  tedious,  and  monotonous.  But  a  stranger  is  con- 
stantly interested  in  the  beaudful  and  wonderful  plants  around  him. 

"There  are  also  farms  along  the  river,  and  occasionally  a  white 
settlement — usually  a  village  ;  rarely  a  town. 

"And,  if  the  vessel  gets  on  sand-bars  as  often  as  our  good  sloop, 
the  Bella  Donna,  the  stranger  will  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  some 
of  the  animals  of  the  country.  Some  of  them  are  not  very  pleasant  to 
meet,  especially  the  jaguar      But  the  monkeys  are  amusing. 

"  At  some  of  the  mission  stations  among  the  Indians  he  will  also  see 
a  good  deal  to  mterest  him.  The  Indians  have  been  taught  some- 
thing of  agriculture,  and  have  some  very  primitive  machines. 


296 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


"  In  one  of  my  rambles   I  came  across  a  sugar-cane  mill,  in  which 
three  Indians  were  at  work. 


SUGAR-CANE  MILL. 


"  It  was  an  enormous  affair,  but  worked  entirely  by  man-power. 
The  great  wheels  were  made  to  revolve  by  a  single  man  working  in 
each,  very  much  in  the  style  in  which  squirrels  turn  toy  wheels  in  their 
cages. 


A   VOYAGE  TO  THE  LOWER  AMAZON.  297 

"With  the  exception  of  my  sad  adventure  during  the  tempest,  T  en- 
joyed the  ten  days'  trip  on  the  Bella  Donna  very  much.  But  ten  days 
is  enough  for  such  a  journey,  and  I  was  not  sorry  when  I  reached 
Para,  and  the  sea  coast." 


298  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


THE  BEDOUIN  ARABS. 

Fine  stones  are  told  of  the  Bedouin  Arabs.  We  have  heara  a 
great  deal  about  these  wandering  tribes  of  the  desert ;  of  their  hospi- 
tality to  strangers  ;  of  their  generosity  ;  of  their  gratitude  ;  of  their  af- 
fection for  their  fleet  and  beautiful  horses  ;  of  the  wild  free  life  they 
lead.  They  will  not  allow  themselves  to  be  cooped  up  in  towns,  they 
will  not  even  live  in  houses,  but  spend  their  lives  in  breezy  tents,  out 
on  the  wildso 

When  girls  and  boys  read  these  accounts  their  hearts  glow  at  the 
thought  of  the  happy  life  of  the  Arab  children.  No  lessons  to  learn, 
no  school  to  attend,  no  work  to  do.  They  course  around  on  splendid 
horses,  and  their  whole  life  is  one  delightful  "  camping  out."  When 
they  get  tired  of  living  in  one  place,  they  go  to  another.  They  dress 
gorgeously  too  !  A  loose,  and  gracefully  flowing  costume,  made  of 
"  rich  stuffs,"  and  costly  camel's  hair  cloth. 

And  then  besides  the  horse  they  have  the  docile  and  intelligent  camel 
to  bear  their  burdens,  and  to  be  their  companions. 

Such  are  the  pictures  often  drawn  of  Bedouin  life  ;  and,  no  doubt 
you  have  thought  when  you  read  them,  that  if  these  ignorant,  lazy, 
heathen  Arabs  were  so  good,  and  so  happy,  why  should  you  be  sent 
to  school,  and  taught  to  be  industrious,  and  trained  to  follow  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  Bible  ?  To  be  good,  and  to  be  happy  are  certainly  the 
main  thinofs,  and  if  these  Arabs  have  learned  the  secret  of  command- 
ing  these- we  had  better  take  lessons  from  them. 

Let  us  look  at  the  accounts  of  reliable  travelers,  and  see  how  far 
the  descriptions  of  the  story-writers  are  true. 

On  the  next  pagfe  we  have  an  Arab  chief  How  do  you  like  his 
looks  ?     That  long  robe  he  has  over  his  white  cotton  skirt,  and  the 


THE  BEDOUIN  ARABS. 


299 


AN   ARAB   CHIEF, 


300  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

scarf  on  his  head  are  of  camel's  hair — there  is  no  doubt  about  that — 
but,  if  you  admire  his  bare  legs  and  arms,  and  old  slippers,  it  is 
more  than  I  do.  And  I  can  tell  you  of  something  that  you  can't  see 
in  the  picture.     The  whole  dress  is  shockingly  dirty,  and  greasy. 

Did  you  ever  reflect  how  these  "  noble  Arabs  "  get  anything  to  eat  ? 
They  must  eat,  you  know,  and  they  won't  work  ;  so,  how  do  they  pro- 
cure their  food?  Why,  they  steal  it.  They  despise  their  brethren 
who  dwell  in  houses,  and  plow  and  plant  seed.  They  think  work  is 
degrading.  But  after  the  farmers  have  got  their  fields  in  good  order, 
and  the  grain  is  ready  to  cut ;  down  comes  a  tribe  of  Bedouins  and 
carries  off  the  harvest ! 

They  entertain  strangers,  but  only  to  beg  from  them,  and  what  they 
fail  to  get  by  begging  they  will  steal,  if  they  have  a  chance. 

Their  generosity  seems  to  be  a  reckless  wasting  and  giving  away 
of  what  they  ought  to  save ;  and  no  people  can  drive  so  hard  a  bar- 
gain, or  cheat  more  readily. 

As  for  gratitude — well — if  a  man  has  done  them  a  favor  they  per- 
haps tell  him  fewer  lies,  and  cheat  him  less  than  they  do  others. 

The  camel  is  a  very  important  animal  in  the  deserts  where  the  Be- 
douins live,  for  he  can  easily  tread  the  sands,  and  can  live  a  long  time 
without  water,  and  can  bear  heavy  burdens.  But  he  is  very,  very 
stupid,  and  ill-natured,  and  obstinate.  Perhaps  the  poor  beasts  would 
do  better  if  they  had  better  masters,  for  the  Bedouins  half  starve  them, 
and  constantly  ill-treat  them ;  and  I  don't  blame  the  camels  for  resent- 
ing such  conduct. 

It  is  not  likely  that  such  a  race  of  people  would  treat  horses  any 
better  than  they  do  their  camels.  Horses  could  not  bear  such  treat- 
ment long,  however.  It  would  kill  them.  And  in  fact,  the  Bedouins 
have  very  few  horses.  The  fleet  and  beautiful  Arab  steeds  are  owned 
by  the  Arabs  who  dwell  in  the  villages  and  try  to  live  somewhat  as 
we  do. 


THE  BEDOUIN  ARABS. 


301 


Tent  life  is  very  pleasant,  for  a  few  days,  when  you  go  out  into  the 
green  woods  with  a  party  of  friends.  But  it  would  be  a  very  differ- 
ent thing,  you  would  find,  if  you  were  compelled  to  spend  your  life 


AN   ARAB   ENCAMPMENT. 

that  way ;  sometimes  under  the  shade  of  palms,  but,  more  frequently 
on  the  hot  desert  sands.  Dirt  and  discomfort  belong  to  an  Arab 
teni ;  and  legions  of  fleas  take  up  their  abode  there. 

If  you  were  to  stay  with  these  Bedouins  for  awhile  I  think  you  would 
gladly  go  back  to  civilization  and  work ;  and  you  would  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  schools  and  wash-tubs  were  good  institutions. 


302  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


FOOL-HARDY  CARL   HOFER,  AND  THE  WATER-LADY. 

A  GOOD  many  years  ago,  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  there  Uved  a 
boy  named  Carl  Hofer.  "  CUmbing  Carl"  he  was  often  called  because 
he  excelled  in  climbing  ;  and,  quite  as  frequently,  he  was  called  "  Fool- 
hardy Carl,"  because  he  would  put  himself  in  very  unsafe  places, 
where  no  sensible  person  would  venture.  Everybody  said  he  would 
be  killed  some  day ;  and  the  wonder  was  that  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  without  breaking  his  neck.  His  father  and  mother 
had  tried  every  means  of  curing  him  of  these  foolish  ways ;  but,  al- 
though he  was  a  pretty  good  boy  in  regard  to  most  things,  he  was 
very  disobedient  about  climbing. 

His  parents  were  willing  he  should  climb  even  the  tallest  trees; 
and  they  were  quite  proud  at  the  gymnasium  to  see  him  run  lightly 
up  the  long  ladders,  and  across  the  open  framework,  near  the  roof. 
You-  might  say  that  this  also  was  a  dangerous  thing  to  do.  That  is 
true,  but  Carl's  skill  in  this  art,  and  his  long  practice  made  it  next  to 
impossible  that  he  should  fall.  But  he  would  go  up  places  where  no 
amount  of  skill  or  practice  could  save  him.  in  case  of  accident.  He 
would  climb  a  dead  tree,  for  instance,  though  he  knew  a  rotten  branch 
might  break  at  any  moment,  and  throw  him  headlong  to  the  ground, 
or  he  would  go  up  a  tottering  wall.  It  is  cotirageous  to  put  yourself 
into  possible  danger,  for  the  sake  of  accomplishing  some  good.  No 
boy  can  learn  to  ride,  or  climb,  or  swim  without  incurring  possible 
danger.  But  that  is  very  different  from  putting  yourself  into  almost 
certain  danger  just  for  the  sake  of  doing  a  thing  when  no  good  is  to 
come  of  it.     When  people  act  in  this  way  they  are  fool-hardy. 

And  Carl  was  not  content  to  be  courageous,  which  is  a  very  good 
thing,  but  he  must  also  be  fool-hardy,  which  is  a  very  silly  thing. 


FOOL-HARDY  CARL  HOFER  AND  THE   WATER-LADY.        303 


One  day  he  set  out  alone  for  a  long  walk  down  the  river.     It  was  a 


THE  PLACE  WAS  STRANGE  TO  HIM 


holiday,  so  he  had  plenty  of  time  be- 
fore him.  He  walls:ed  a  very  long  time 
before  he  sat  down  to  rest ;  and  then 
he  looked  around  him  to  see  where  be  was.     The  place  was  strange 


304  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


to  him,  so  that  he  knew  he  must  be  a  long  way  from  home.  There 
was  no  house  near,  and  no  person  was  in  sight.  But  Carl  was  not 
afraid,  for  he  was  used  to  rambling  about  the  woods,  and  he  felt  sure 
*here  was  nothing  there  to  hurt  him. 

There  was  nothing  to  hurt  him  but  his  own  foolish  self. 

Close  by  him  was  a  beautiful  hill,  down  which  fell  a  little  cascade. 
It  was  not  very  high,  but  rose  up  almost  perpendicularly  from  where 
he  was  sitting.  He  felt  a  great  desire  to  see  what  was  on  the  other 
side  of  that  hill.  He  could  easily  have  gone  around  it,  on  the  inland 
side,  but  that  did  not  suit  his  taste.  He  remembered  that  he  had 
given  his  promise  to  his  mother,  that  morning,  that  he  would  not  do 
one  fool-hardy  thing  that  day.  But  was  this  fool-hardy?  The  hill 
was  very  steep,  but  there  were  trees  and  saplings  to  help  him  in  the 
ascent.  He  did  not  hesitate  long.  He  started  up  the  hill.  If  he  had 
continued  up  the  side  he  began  upon,  it  would  not  have  been  so  very 
bad,  for  if  his  foot  had  slipped  he  might  have  had  his  fall  so  broken 
by  bushes  and  tufts  of  grass  that  there  would  have  been  a  possibility 
of  his  reaching  the  ground  without  any  great  injury.  But  he  soon  found 
that  the  side  of  the  hill  by  the  river  was  even  more  steep  than  the  one 
he  was  on,  and  he  swung  himself  round  by  the  tree  branches  until  he 
reached  that  side.  Up  he  went,  digging  hands  and  heels  into  the 
spongy  turf,  and  catching  hold  of  the  saplings,  and  bushes  that  came 
in  his  way.  If  his  foot  had  slipped  then,  he  would  have  gone  plump 
into  the  river. 

But  his  foot  did  not  slip,  and  he  reached  the  top  in  safety.  A  litde 
ravine  lay  at  his  feet,  and  on  the  other  side  of  this,  close  to  the  river 
bank,  there  stood  a  stone  tower.  Eager  to  examine  this  curiosity 
Carl  partly  ran,  and  partly  slid  down  the  hill,  which  was  much  less 
steep  on  that  side,  and  ran  across  the  ravine  to  the  base  of  the  tower. 

Jt  was  all  that  was  left  of  an  old  castle.  Many  of  the  stones  had 
fallen  from  the  top,  and  some  from  its  sides,  and  it  was     very  shaky- 


FOOL-HARDY  CARL  HOFER  AND  THE   WATER-LADY.        305 

looking  affair.  But  Carl  did  not  care  for  this.  The  walls  were  very 
tliick,  and  he  felt  sure  the  large  broken  pinnacle  at  the  top  was  broad 
enoueh  for  him  to  stand  on.  It  would  be  great  fun  to  stand  on  that ! 
He  forgot  his  promise  to  his  mother,  and  began  at  once  to  climb; 
sometimes  lifting  himself  up  by  taking  hold  of  projecting  stones,  and 
sometimes  working  up  by  putting  feet  and  hands  into  crevices  in  the 
wall. 

He  was  not  half  way  up  when  he  made  a  mis-step.  He  felt  that  he 
was  slipping,  and  clutched  frantically  at  a  projecting  stone.  He 
grasped  the  stone  with  both  hands,  but  alas !  it  shook  with  the  grasp, 
and  Carl  knew  that  it  was  giving  way.  He  hung  thus  but  a  moment, 
though  it  seemed  a  long  period  to  him,  for  he  had  time  to  think  of  his 
home,  and  his  father,  and  mother,  and  little  sisters,  and  that  he  should 
never  see  them  more.  He  wondered  if  they  would  ever  know  what 
had  become  of  him,  and  would  learn,  that  he  did  die,  finally,  in  a  fool- 
hardy adventure,  as  everybody  had  always  said  he  would.  Then  the 
stone  rolled  out  from  the  wall,  and  out  of  Carl's  hands,  falling  some 
thirty  feet,  and  plunging  into  the  water  with  great  force.  And  down 
went  Carl,  right  in  its  track. 

This  part  of  the  river  was  the  home  of  a  kind,  and  beautiful  Water- 
Lady,  called  by  the  Germans  a  Nix.  Looking  up  through  the  water 
(for  she  spent  nearly  all  her  time  at  the  bottom  of  the  river)  she  saw 
Carl  climb  the  hill,  and  was  so  much  pleased  with  his  skilful  climbing 
and  his  bright  face,  that  when  he  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  she  floated 
up  to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  see  what  he  would  do  next.  She 
watched  him  down  the  hill,  and  across  the  ravine ;  but,  when  he  stood 
looking  up  to  the  top  of  the  ruined  tower,  the  Nix  guessed  that  he 
tvas  thinking  of  climbing  it ;  and  she  determined  to  draw  him  away 
Irom  this  dangerous  place. 

The  Nixies  play  upon  the  harp  lovely  music  that  mortals  may  not 
iope  to  play.     So  the  Nix  went  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  river  and 
20 


3o6  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

soon  reappeared  on  the  surface  with  a  graceful  harp,  made  of  beaten 
gold.  She  left  the  river,  and,  standing  among  the  water  plants  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  Carl  had  climbed,  she  played  soft,  sweet  strains  of  fairy 
music  on  her  harp.  In  this  way  she  thought  she  would  beguile  him 
from  the  dangerous  tower  back  to  the  hill ;  and,  when  he  was  safe, 
she  would  disappear  ;  for  the  Nixies  do  not  care  to  be  seen  of  mortals. 

But  Carl  was  so  absorbed  in  his  foolish  project  of  scaling  the  wall, 
and  the  music  was  so  very  soft,  he  did  not  heed  it.  Twice  in  his  as- 
cent he  paused  to  listen  to  what  he  imagined  to  be  lovely  strains  of 
music.  This  was  when  the  Nix,  on  peeping  around  the  curve  made 
by  the  hill,  saw  that  the  boy  had  already  started  on  his  perilous  jour- 
ney, and  played  louder  to  call  him  back.  But  Carl  concluded  he 
was  mistaken,  and  that  the  melodious  sound  was  the  wind  rustling 
among  the  vines. 

When  the  Nix  heard  the  plunge  into  the  water  she  supposed  that 
all  was  over ;  and,  standing  her  harp  against  a  rock,  she  leaned  her 
head  upon  her  hand,  and  thought  sorrowfully  of  the  bright  boy  who 
had  ;jome  to  such  a  sudden  end  through  his  own  folly. 

But  Carl  was  not  dead.  The  force  with  which  he  struck  the  water 
sent  him  far  down  into  its  depths,  and  rendered  him  unconscious.  So 
that  when  he  rose  to  the  surface  again  he  lay  on  the  water  without 
motion,  and,  apparently,  without  life.  In  this  condition  he  floated  to 
the  spot  where  the  Nix  was  standing.  For  a  moment  she  gazed  at 
him  sorrowfully,  and  then  her  face  suddenly  brightened.  For  she  saw 
that  the  boy  was  still  living,  though  he  was  insensible  to  everything 
around  him. 

Quickly  she  seized  her  harp,  and  played  the  liveliest,  merriest  mu- 
sic that  the  fairies  know.  The  notes  seemed  to  be  dancing,  and  jump- 
ing, and  rolling  and  tumbling  over  each  other  in  great  glee,  and  yet 
it  was  true  music,  and  perfect  harmony.  So  penetrating  and  so  stir- 
ring was  it  that  it  reached  Carl's  benumbed  senses.  He  opened  his  eyes, 


FOOL-HARDY  CARL  HOFER  AND  THE   WATER-LADY.        307 

and  seeing  a  beautiful  lady  in  white   robes,  holding  a  golden  harp, 
and  playing  this  lovely  music,  no  wonder  he  thought  he  was  in  heaven. 


THE    NIX   GRIEVING    FOR   CARL. 


This  delusion  lasted  but  a  moment,  however,  for  he  soon  felt  him- 
self sinking  again  into  the  cold  water.  But  he  was  able  now  to  make 
an  effort  to  save  himself,  and  he  grasped  tightly  the  long  reed  stems 
that  lay  near  him.  This  prevented  his  sinking  far  into  the  water,  and 
the  Nix  left  her  harp,  and  gliding  swiftly  into  the  river,  supported 
Carl  so  that  his  head  and  arms  were  out  of  the  water,  and  he  could 


3o8  TALES  OUT  01'  SCHOOL. 

make  some  attempt  to  swim.  And,  in  this  way,  the  Nix  helped  him 
to  the  bank. 

He  was  so  weak  from  fright,  and  the  long  time  he  had  been  in  the 
water,  that  he  could  not  even  speak  to  the  Nix  to  thank  her  for  saving 
his  life.  He  could  only  look  his  gratitude  as  he  lay  panting  on  the 
grass.  But  as  soon  as  he  revived  a  little  and  had  uttered  the  first 
word  to  the  lady  she  faded  from  his  sight,  and  he  only  saw  a  wreath 
of  white  mist  gliding  over  the  reeds. 

Carl  sprang  up  in  astonishment.  The  waves  parted  as  if  some  one 
had  gently  sunk  into  them,  and  he  thought  that  he  saw,  for  a  moment 
a  gleam  of  bright  hair.  Not  till  then  did  he  know  that  the  beautiful 
lady,  who  had  preserved  him,  was  a  Nix. 

Close  to  his  side  stood  her  harp.  The  Nix  had  forgotten  it !  Here 
was  a  prize !  There  was  gold  enough  in  it  for  a  moderate  fortune, 
and  Carl  was  poor.  Carl  had  always  had  a  great  desire  to  be  a  musi- 
cian, and  this  gold  would  send  him  to  Berlin  or  Vienna  to  study  at  a 
Conservatory  of  Music  ;  and  do  a  great  deal  besides  for  his  father,  and 
mother,  and  sisters.  But  the  boy  was  honest,  and  he  knew  he  had  no 
right  to  take  away  the  property  of  another,  even  if  the  owner  was  only 
a  Nix.  But  he  thought  he  might  be  allowed  to  play  upon  it.  He  had 
learned  to  play  two  or  three  tunes  on  the  harp.  No  sooner  did  he 
touch  the  strings,  however,  than  he  found  he  did  not  play  his  own 
music  at  all,  but  the  magical  music  the  Nix  played.  Carl  was  in  ec- 
stacies,  and  his  fingers  flew  over  the  strings,  wandering  through  one 
fairy  melody  after  another  until  his  arm  ached,  and  he  saw  that  the 
sun  had  set,  and  twilight  was  coming  on. 

He  must  go  home.  But  now  he  felt  a  stronger  desire  than  ever  to 
take  the  harp  with  him.  How  he  would  astonish  all  the  town  with  his 
music !  He  would  give  concerts  in  the  great  hall,  and,  perhaps,  the 
fame  of  his  wonderful  music  would  reach  the  king  and  queen,  and  they 
would  come  to  hear  him.     But  all  this  did  not  make  it  right  for  him  to 


FOOL-HARDY  CARL  HOFER  AND  THE  WATER-LADY. 


309 


take  what  was  not  his  own ;  and  it  would  be  a  poor  return  to  make 
the  Nix  for  her  kindness  to  steal  her  harp. 

But,  perhaps  she  left  it  there,  intending  he  should  have  it !  How 
was  he  to  know  ?  He  called  to  her  to  tell  him  if  the  harp  was  his.  but 
there  was  no  reply. 

He  resolved  he  would  leave  it  where  it  stood,  but  would  return  to 
the  spot  the  next  day.  If  the  harp  was  still  there  he  might  fairly  con- 
clude that  the  Nix  intended  he  should  have  it 

He  left  the  harp  reluctantly,  and  started  on  his  homeward  journey, 
but  had  not  gone  far  before  he  had  to  lie  down  and  rest.  His  head 
ached,  and  all  his  limbs  felt  tired  and  sore.  It  is  probable  he  would 
have  been  obliged  to  spend  the  night  in  the  forest,  if  some  market- 
men  had  not  come  along  the  road,  and  taken  him  home  in  their 
wagon. 

He  related  his  adventures  to  the  family,  and  the  next  day  his  father 
accompanied  him  to  the  old  tower.  Everything  was  exactly  as  Carl 
had  described  it.  The  place  whence  the  stone  had  fallen  out  of  the 
wall  was  plainly  to  be  seen,  with  the  freshly  loosened  mortar  strewn 
about.  But  there  was  no  golden  harp.  And  there  was  neither  sight 
nor  sound  of  Nix  or  Fairy  Music 


FAIRY  MUSIC. 

From  that  day  Carl  lost  all  desire  for  fool-hardy  adventures.     His 


3IO  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

love  of  music  grew  stronger  and  stronger,  and  his  parents  had  some 
trouble  in  getting  him  to  attend  properly  to  his  other  studies.  He 
said  the  Nix  had  left  her  harp  with  him  for  a  short  time  that  he  might 
take  from  it  an  inspiration  of  melody  that  would  be  his  forever ;  and 
that  she  had  then  taken  the  harp  away  lest  he  should  learn  too  much, 
and  play  such  music  as  only  the  angels  could  understand. 

All  the  beautiful  things  he  saw ;  all  the  sweet  sounds  of  Nature;  all 
the  noble  thoughts  that  God  put  into  his  heart;  he  wrote  down  in 
strains  of  music  that  were  sung  and  played  in  all  parts  of  the  world, 
and  that  charmed  everybody  who  heard  them. 

Carl  was  famous.  But  men  declared  that  he  had  never  seen  the 
Nix,  or  played  upon  the  golden  harp,  but  had  dreamed  the  whole  story 
when  he  was  in  a  half-conscious  state  on  the  bank,  after  he  had 
managed  to  crawl  out  of  the  river  by  the  help  of  the  reeds.  This 
narrow  escape  from  death,  they  said,  had  given  a  more  serious  turn 
to  his  mind,  and  from  thenceforth  he  had  given  up  boyish  frolics,  and 
his  thoughts  had  naturally  turned  to  music — the  art  he  best  loved. 

But  Carl,  himself,  always  believed  that  the  Nix  had  bestowed  upon 
him  the  wonderful  gift  of  melody  he  possessed. 


WATER  AND  MILK  FROM  PLANTS. 


3" 


WATER  AND  MILK  FROM  PLANTS. 

There  are  upon  the  earth  great  sandy  tracts,  where  there  are  no 
springs,  or  brooks.     When  the  rain  falls,  which  it  seldom  does  in  these 


PITCHER  PLANT. 


312  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

places,  the  parched  earth  drinks  it  all  up,  and  no  pools  are  formed  at 
which  the  thirsty  traveler  can  get  a  drink.  And  yet  men  are  often 
obliged  to  travel  over  these  plains  to  reach  some  place  where  their 
business  calls  them.  They  go  in  companies,  and  take  with  them  pro- 
visions, and  a  large  supply  of  water.  This  last  they  regard  as  the  most 
precious  of  their  possessions,  and  use  it  as  sparingly  as  possible.  But, 
notwithstanding  all  their  care,  it  often  gives  out  before  they  reach  the 
end  of  their  journey.  And  then,  too,  they  frequently  lose  their  way, 
and  wander  about  over  the  hot  sand,  under  a  burning  sun  until  they 
become  sick  and  weak  from  thirst,  and  they  sometimes  die  for  want 
of  water.  This  would  happen  much  oftener  than  it  does  were  it  not 
for  a  little  plant  that  a  kind  Providence  has  caused  to  grow  in  these 
desolate  sandy  plains. 

The  picture  of  this  plant,  which  we  show  you,  was  taken  from  one 
that  grew  in  a  garden,  but  it  was  transplanted  there  from  the  desert, 
where  it  is  found  in  great  abundance. 

This  plant  grows  two  or  three  feet  high,  and,  at  the  end  of  each  one 
of  its  broad  dark  green  leaves,  there  is  a  strong  tendril  that  holds  up 
a  cup  of  the  same  substance  as  the  leaves.  During  the  night  the  dew 
on  the  plant  fills  the  cup  with  pure,  clear,  sweet  water,  which  slowly 
evaporates  during  the  day.  You  can  easily  imagine  how  glad  the 
thirsty  traveler  is  to  find  these  cups  of  fresh  water,  all  filled  ready  for 
his  drinking. 

The  name  of  this  plant  is  Nepenthes,  but  we  generally  call  it  the 
Pitcher  Plant. 

In  other  parts  of  the  earth  there  are  great  marshy  forests,  where 
the  pools  of  water  are  stagnant  and  impure;  and,  if  people  drink  from 
them,  they  are  made  sick.  A  man  might  wander  through  these  woods 
for  days,  and  not  find  a  drop  of  pure,  wholesome  water,  were  it  not 
for  the  Sarracenia,  or  Amphora-plant. 

In  this  the  leaves  are  the   cups.     They  have   narrow  necks,  and 


WA  TER  AND  MILK  FR  OM  PLANTS.  3 1 3 

flaring  tips,  from  which  it  is  easy  to  drink  the  clear  water  contained  in 
the  wonderful  leaves.  The  full  grown  leaves  of  the  larger  species  hold 
a  pint  of  water. 


THE  SARRACENIA. 

We  have  this  same  plant,  on  a  much  smaller  scale,  in  our  own 
marshes.  It  grows  in  damp,  shaded  places,  and  I  advise  you  to  look 
for  it  in  your  summer  rambles,  for  it  is  a  very  singular  plant.  The 
leaves  of  our  Sarrace^tia  are  so  small  they  will  scarcely  hold  a  gill  of 
water.  But  we  have  plenty  of  cool  springs,  and  limpid  brooks  in  our 
country,  and  do  not  need  the  large  cups  of  water  the  Amphora-plant 
offers  to  its  visitors  in  South  America. 

The  common  name  of  our  Sarracenia  is  Pitcher-plant ;  but,  as  you 


3M 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


WATER  AND  MILK  FROM  PLANTS.  315 


can  see  by  comparing  the  two,  it  is  very  unlike  the  Pitcher-plant  of 
the  Eastern  deserts. 

But  then  you  know  pitchers  are  of  a  great  many  different  shapes, 
and  sizes,  and  are  only  alike  in  being  able  to  hold  water. 

But  the  most  wonderful  of  all  the  plants  that  give  men  water  to 
drink  is  a  tree  that  is  said  to  have  been  found  some  years  ago  in  one 
of  the  Canary  islands.  It  was  seen  at  different  times  by  different 
travelers,  and  they  all  told  the  same  story  about  it.  The  leaves  grew 
thickly  on  its  spreading  branches,  and,  from  each  leaf  the  drops  fell 
so  rapidly  that  all  together  they  formed  a  steady  shower  of  rain. 

It  was  called  the  Weeping  Tree. 

The  water  fell  so  copiously  that  it  formed  a  pond  at  the  foot  of  the 
tree,  and  the  people  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood  got  from  it  all  the 
water  they  used.  This  is  certainly  a  very  wonderful  tree  if  the  ac- 
counts of  it  are  true. 

There  is  a  plant  of  the  Arum  family,  with  broad,  heart-shaped  leaves 
that  constantly  throws  from  the  end  of  each  leaf  a  drop  of  water. 
These  drops  sometimes  follow  each  other  so  fast  that  there  is  a  little 
jet  of  water  formed  in  the  air  above  the  leaf. 

But  water  is  not  the  only  drink  that  we  get  from  trees.  In  Central 
and  South  America  grows  the  cow-tree,  which  gives  milk !  This  milk 
can  be  obtained  during  all  seasons,  but  is  much  more  abundant  in  the 
spring.  If  a  deep  cut  is  made  with  a  hatchet  in  the  bark  of  the  tree 
a  stream  of  milk  gushes  out,  and  flows  freely.  It  yields  the  greatest 
quantity  at  sunrise,  and,  at  that  hour,  in  the  places  where  this  tree 
grows,  men  and  women  come  from  all  directions  to  the  tree  nearest 
their  homes  to  get  a  supply  of  this  refreshing  drink.  They  bring 
pitchers  with  them,  and  take  some  of  the  milk  back  to  their  families. 

This  white  fluid  is  like  cow's  milk  in  appearance,  but  it  is  not  equally 
good  from  all  trees.  But  it  is  just  so  with  the  cows,  you  know.  Some 
of  these  animals  give  rich  yellow  milk,  and  some  of  the  milk  is  blue- 


3i6 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


white,  and  thin.  Some  give  a  great  deal,  and  others  very  Httle.  And 
some  cow  trees  yield  richer  and  yellower  milk  than  others,  but  it  is  all 
sweet  and  wholesome,  and  of  a  pleasant  smell     It  tastes,  in  fact,  al- 


THE   COW  TREE. 


most  exactly  like  cow's  milk.  Like  that  it  is  used  for  making  custards, 
puddings,  &c. ;  and,  when  boiled,  behaves  just  as  ordinary  milk  does, 
and  will  run  over  the  vessel  in  a  minute,  if  not  watched.  When  al- 
lowed to  stand  for  a  time  cream  forms  on  the  top.  This  is  taken  off, 
and  made  into  a  sort  of  cheese,  not  very  different  from  our  cheeses. 

This  is  a  very  nice  kind  of  cow  to  have — this  vegetable  cow — as  it 
requires  no  feeding,  or  care,  and,  when  it  dies  others  spring  up  in  its 
place.  It  seems  a  pity  that  we  cannot  have  these  economical  cows  in 
our  country. 

We  have  plants  here  that  yield  a  milky  juice  when  the  stalks  are 
broken  or  cut,  but  you  must  not  be  beguiled  into  drinking  any  of  these 
milky  saps,  for  they  are  very  disagreeable  in  taste-  being  sharp  and 
bitter;  and  many  of  them  are  poisonous. 


THE  JOLLY  CABORDMEN. 


3^7 


THE  JOLLY  CABORDMEN. 

There  was  once  a  nation  of  remarkably  genial  people  who  knew  no 
evil  and  would  not  have  practiced  it  if  they  had  known  it.  They  were 
very  industrious,  and  their  days  were  so  busy  and  they  took  such  an 
interest  in  their  work,  that  they  had  no  time  to  be  wicked  or  sad. 

They  were  called  Cabordmen,  for  what  reason  I  know  not,  for  the 
name  of  their  country  was  not  Cabord.  Their  principal  industry  was 
tilling  the  soil,  and  they  generally  worked  with  a  will. 


THE  JOLLY  CABORDMEN   AT   WORK. 

When  they  first  settled  their  country  the  land  was  poor  and  very 
little  grew  upon  it  that  was  worth  having.  But,  year  by  year,  the  soil 
became  richer,  on  account  of  the  care  they  took  of  it,  and  all  sorts  of 
valuable  grains,  and  grasses,  and  vegetables,  and  fruits  were  grown, 
and  these  Cabordmen  had  all  and  more  than  they  wanted  of  the  good 
things  of  the  earth. 

So  they  waxed  rich  and  happy,  and  there  never  was  a  time  when 


3i8  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

a  man  was  hungry  that  he  did  not  have  some  good  things  to  eat,  and 
it  very  seldom  happened  that  any  of  these  hard  workers  found  him- 
self without  an  appetite  at  meal-time. 

For  people  who  work  hard  and  well  are  very  apt  to  have  all  they 
want  and  to  want  all  they  have.  If  they  do  not  want  it  to  use  them- 
selves, they  want  it  to  sell  or  give  away. 

So,  in  time  the  people  of  this  country  became  not  only  very  com- 
fortable but  very  wealthy. 

They  had  great  barns  full  of  grain  and  vast  stores  of  everything 
needful  for  their  use  and  livelihood,  and  as  they  often  sold  their  sur- 
plus productions  to  other  nations,  they  had  great  vaults  full  of  money. 

But  they  all  worked  away  every  day,  just  the  same  as  they  used  to, 
because  they  were  so  accustomed  to  toil,  that  they  would  not  have 
been  happy  without  work. 

So,  of  course,  they  became  richer  and  richer,  and  jollier  and  jollier 
until  at  last  they  became  so  prosperous  and  happy  that  other  nations 
began  to  take  notice  of  them.  It  was  rather  unusual,  in  those  days 
to  see  a  whole  nation  so  jolly. 

The  people  in  the  adjoining  countries  were  by  no  means  so  happy 
and  prosperous.  Most  of  them  were  much  better  pleased  with  fight- 
ing than  with  work,  and  it,  therefore,  often  happened  that  they  were 
hungry  when  there  was  very  little  to  eat. 

For  war  is  a  very  bad  thing  for  crops.  It  is  sometimes  as  injurious 
as  a  long  drought.  For  somebody  must  plant  and  hoe  or  there  will 
be  little  to  eat  in  a  land,  and  if  the  people  spend  most  of  their  time  in 
warfare  there  cannot  be  much  agricultural  work  going  on. 

But  these  outside  people,  especially  those  who  lived  in  the  land 
of  Voldor  to  the  north  of  the  country  of  the  Cabordmen,  had  an  idea 
that  it  was  a  great  deal  easier  to  make  war  and  capture  supplies  than 
to  raise  crops  themselves. 

This  is  why,  after  having  carefully  watched  the  Cabordmen  for  some 


THE  JOLLY  CABORDMEN. 


319 


years,  and  noting  their  great  possessions,  they  resolved  to  make  war 
upon  these  industrious  and  jolly  people. 

So  they  gathered  together  an  army,  which  was  an  easy  thing  for 
them  to  do,  and  invaded  the  country  of  the  Cabordmen. 

Our  jolly  friends  were  much  astounded  and  distressed  when  the 
great  army  of  the  Voldorites  marched  over  their  borders. 


THE  VOLDORITES  MARCH  INTO  THE  COUXTRY  OF  THE  CABORDMEN. 

Now  the  poor  Cabordmen  knew  not  what  to  do.  They  were  not 
soldiers,  and,  indeed,  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  single  sword  or  spear 
or  shield  in  the  whole  country.  They  never  had  gone  to  war  and 
they  were  not  prepared  for  it,  nor  did  they  know  anything  about 
fighting.     It  was  altogether  a  new  business  to  them. 

They  gathered  together  and  held  hasty  consultations,  but  they  could 
decide  upon  no  plan  to  repel  the  invaders.     What  could  they — a  na- 


320  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

tion  of  simple,  jolly  husbandmen — do  against  a  great  army  of  well 
armed  and  practised  warriors  ? 

There  seemed  to  be  nothing  left  for  them  but  to  surrender  at  once, 
and  let  the  Voldorites  help  themselves  to  whatever  they  wanted.  In 
this  case  the  poor  Cabordmen  and  their  families  would  not  only  be 
stripped  of  every  thing,  but  it  was  very  likely  indeed  that  the  invaders 
would  carry  off  many  of  them  as  prisoners,  and  take  them  to  Voldor, 
and  make  them  cultivate  the  land  of  their  captors. 

This  was  terrible  to  think  of.  But  they  could  devise  no  plan  to 
escape  this  dreadful  fate. 

The  Voldorites  were  now  encamped  upon  the  northern  edge  of 
their  territory,  which  was  yet  uninhabited  and  barren.  The  enemy  so 
far  had  met  with  none  of  the  Cabordmen,  but  many  of  the  latter  had 
seen  the  great  army  from  afar  without  having  made  themselves  visi- 
ble. 

Night  came  on  while  the  people  were  In  this  fearful  condition  of 
fear  and  suspense.  Less  than  a  day's  march  would  bring  the  fierce 
enemy  into  their  midst.  No  one  went  to  bed,  for  who  could  sleep  at 
such  a  time  ?  No  fires  or  lamps  were  lighted.  They  all  gathered  to- 
gether by  the  faint  light  of  the  new  moon,  and  bewailed  their  sad  con- 
dition. 

There  was  only  one  person  among  them  who  seemed  to  have  re- 
tained his  courage  and  thoughtfulness.  This  was  a  young  man  named 
Adar  Gan  Ip. 

He  was  named  Adar  because  he  was  a  painter.  Ip  was  his  family 
name,  and  he  was  called  Gan  after  his  grandfather.  He  was  the  only 
painter  in  the  whole  nation,  and  he  had  learned  his  trade  In  a  neigh- 
boring country,  where  he  had  been  to  sell  grain. 

He  principally  painted  signs  and  portraits.  He  did  not  paint  many 
portraits,  because  the  people  had  but  little  time  to  sit  for  them,  but  he 
painted  a  good  many  signs  on  barns  and  granaries.     People  liked  to 


THE  JOLL  Y  CAB  ORDMEN.  3  2 1 

have  their  names  on  their  barns.  He  had  no  paint  but  one  pot  of 
white  paint.  So  when  he  painted  portraits  he  painted  only  old  men, 
so  that  the  white  paint  would  do  for  their  hair  and  beards  as  well  as 
for  their  faces.  Having  no  colored  paint  for  eyes,  he  always  painted 
portraits  with  the  faces  turned  around,  so  that  the  eyes  could  not  be 
seen. 

This  young-  man  was,  as  I  have  said,  the  only  person  among  the 
Cabordmen  who  seemed  to  have  his  wits  about  him. 

He  conceived  a  plan  of  safety,  and  lost  no  time  in  putting  it  in  exe- 
cution. 

The  Cabordmen  placed  great  confidence  in  him  because  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  his  portraits,  and  so  when  he  told  them  his  plan — or  that 
part  of  it  which  they  were  to  carry  out — they  agreed  to  it  at  once. 

What  they  were  to  do  was  very  simple  ;  each  person  was  to 
take  two  days'  provision,  and  to  clear  out  of  the  country,  every 
man,  woman,  and  child  of  them.  They  were  to  march  away  as  fast  as 
they  could  over  the  south  border,  and  to  stay  there  until  they  heard 
from  Adar  Ip.  They  were  to  take  nothing  with  them  but  their  two 
days'  provision  and  the  clothes  they  wore,  which  were  generally  scanty, 
as  the  climate  was  mild,  and  were  to  leave  their  houses  and  fields,  and 
everything  just  as  they  were  at  that  time.  Doors  all  open,  and  every- 
thing lying  where  it  had  been  last  used. 

So  up  got  every  man,  woman  and  child,  took  food  for  two  days,  and 
departed,  leaving  Adar  Ip  behind.  They  were  all  great  walkers,  be- 
ing so  accustomed  to  activity  in  the  field,  and  before  morning  they 
had  all  passed  out  of  sight  over  the  south  border  of  the  land. 

Then  with  his  pot  of  white  paint  in  one  hand,  and  his  brush  in  the 
other,  went  Adar  Ip,  at  the  first  peep  of  day,  to  the  graveyards  of  the 
Cabordmen.  There  were  three  of  these,  not  very  far  from  the  centre  of 
their  country,  which  was  a  small  country  as  you  may  well  imagine. 

The  Cabordmen,  being  very  healthy,  seldom  died  of  any  disease  but 
21 


322  TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

old  age  ;  and  there  were  not  very  many  persons  buried  in  the  three 
grave  yards.  In  the  first,  and  largest,  there  were  seventy-two  graves ; 
in  the  second,  forty-one,  and  the  third,  a  new  one,  only  thirteen.  The 
graves  were  all  leveled  and  sodded  over,  so  that  the  surface  of  the 
grave  yard  seemed  like  a  beautiful  lawn. 

In  one  enclosure  were  the  grandfathers,  in  another  the  grandmo- 
thers, and  in  the  third  the  very  old  maids  and  bachelors  who  had  died. 
There  were  no  grave-stones  or  anything  of  the  kind,  but  at  the  gate 
of  each  enclosure  was  a  board,  stating  how  many  persons  were  buried 
therein.  Every  time  it  was  necessary,  which  was  very  seldom,  Adar 
Ip  painted  out  the  old  number  on  the  board  and  put  in  a  new  one. 

When  our  young  painter  reached  the  first  grave  yard  he  quickly 
painted  three  ciphers  after  the  figures  on  the  board  by  the  gate.  Then 
running  to  the  second  enclosure  he  painted  a  three  and  two  ciphers 
on  that  board,  and  on  the  third,  he  painted  a  six  and  a  five  and  a  four 
after  the  figures  that  were  already  there.  Then  he  hurried  away  and 
hid  himself. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  the  Voldorite  army  reached  the  settle- 
ments of  the  Cabordmen.  They  did  not  stop  long  at  the  first  houses, 
but  hurried  on,  carefully  looking  out  on  every  side  for  some  sign  of 
resistance  from  the  people.  But  they  saw  no  such  sign,  and  they  saw 
no  people.  This  naturally  surprised  them  very  much.  And  the  far- 
ther they  went  the  more  they  were  surprised. 

At  last  the  leaders  ordered  a  halt,  and  gathered  together  for  con- 
sultation. 

"  I  cannot  imagine,"  said  the  chief,  "  what  this  means.  We  must 
look  out  for  some  ambush  or  trap.  By  the  way,  has  any  one  seen 
any  of  these  Cabordmen  ?" 

Careful  inquiries  were  made,  but  no  one  had  seen  a  Cabordman 
since  they  had  entered  the  country, 

"  This  is  indeed  remarkable,"  said  the  chief  of  the  Voldorites.     "  I 


THE  JOLL  Y  CAB ORDMEN.  323 

cannot  imagine  what  it  means.  No  ambush  has  been  discovered,  no 
fortifications,  no  people.  The  houses  are  all  open.  Everything  seems 
as  if  no  enemy  were  expected.  All  their  valuables  are  here.  Where 
are  they?" 

Nobody  knew,  but  just  then  a  man  who  had  been  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  grave-yards  came  running  to  the  place  where  the  officers  were 
gathered  together,  and  he  urged  them  to  come  back  with  him  and  see 
what  he  had  seen. 

They  all  followed  him,  and  when  they  saw  the  boards  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  enclosures  they  were  utterly  astounded. 

"What!"  cried  the  chief,  walking  from  one  enclosure  to  another, 
"  Here  lie  buried  seventy-two  thousand  Cabordmen,  and  here  forty-one 
thousand  and  three  hundred  Cabordwomen,  and  here  thirteen  thou- 
sand, six  hundred  and  fifty-four  unmarried  Cabordmen  and  women ! 
Comrades,  we  have  found  them  !     The  whole  nation  lies  buried  here!" 

A  deep  silence  fell  upon  the  group  of  officers,  and  upon  the  vast 
body  of  soldiers  that  had  gathered  around  them. 

At  length  the  chief  spoke  again  : 

"  It  must  have  been  a  terrible  pestilence,"  he  said.  "  The  whole 
nation  lies  buried  here.  I  have  added  up  these  figures.  I  know  there 
were  not  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  fifty-four  of  them  all  put  together.  They  are  all  dead  and 
buried  here.     It  must  have  been  awful!" 

Some  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  then  began  to  whisper  together. 
Then  some  one  said  out  loud  that  this  must  be  a  dreadfully  unhealthy 
country.  Then  some  of  them  began  to  move  away  as  if  they  were 
going  to  the  rear  to  attend  to  something  important  in  that  direction. 
Then  the  chief  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away,  and  in  ten  minutes 
that  whole  army  made  up  its  mind  that  it  would  be  exceedingly  im- 
prudent to  remain  any  longer  in  such  an  unwholesome  country,  and 
away  they  all  marched  towards  Voldor. 


324 


TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


The  farther  they  went  the  more  frightened  they  became,  and  soon 
a  perfect  panic  pervaded  the  army,  and  they  set  off  at  the  top  of  their 
speed,  horsemen  and  footmen  for  their  own  barren  but  salubrious  land. 


THE  FLIGHT  OF   THE  VOLDORITES. 

Away  they  went  over  the  hills  and  the  plains,  and  in  two  hours  there 
was  not  a  \^oldorite  in  the  land  of  the  Cabordmen. 

Then  uprose  Adar  Ip,  and  fled  towards  the  southern  border  to  in- 
form his  countr)'men  of  their  happy  deliverance. 

They  all  returned  quickly  and  found  everything  as  it  had  been  left. 
Nothing  had  been  taken,  for  none  of  the  invaders  wanted  anything 
that  had  been  in  a  land  where  such  a  terrible  mortality  had  pre\^iled. 

Great  was  the  joy  and  great  the  gratitude  exhibited  towards  the  in- 
genious young  Ip.     The  people  presented  him  with  a  well  filled  gran- 


THE  JOLL  V  CAB ORDMEN.  325 

ary,  and  ordered  him  to  paint  on  its  walls  at  the  public  expense,  the 
history  of  his  exploit, 

"I  wonder,"  said  one  old  man,  "  who  they  thought  buried  all  these 
people,  if  everybody  was  dead." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Adar  Ip.  "  But  I  think  that  they  had  such  a 
high  opinion  of  the  industry  and  prudence  of  our  people  that  they 
supposed  we  had  doubtless  made  suitable  arrangements  for  a  contin- 
gency of  this  kind." 

After  this,  the  Cabordmen  were  never  again  disturbed,  and  they 
became  jollier  than  ever. 


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